03 Mar 2025

Okavango District Council (ODC) chairman Mr Gaopalelwe Ronald has commended the proposed decentralisation policy.

Opening the ODC full council meeting this week, Mr Ronald said implementation of the decentralisation policy, which was at draft stage, would help shape the local authorities work force in the coming years.

He said the policy aimed to give more autonomy to local authorities and dikgosi hence would be able to make decisions that directly benefited their communities.

Mr Ronald said another positive development was the transfer of primary healthcare functions from the Ministry of Health to the Ministry of Local Government and Traditional Affairs, effective April 2025, which was the case prior to 2010 as primary healthcare was managed by the then Ministry of Local Government.

He said the transition was an opportunity to achieve Universal Health Coverage for the people of Botswana in an effort to address long standing healthcare challenges.

“We are hopeful that localising health services will enhance accessibility and responsiveness to community needs”, he said.

Mr Ronald said the District Health Management Team (DHMT) was working with relevant stakeholders to facilitate a smooth transition that would not affect service provision.

He pointed out that ODC was allocated P16.6 million for financial year 2024/25 under the Constituency Community Projects (CCP) programme. He said the funds were for critical projects aimed at improving road infrastructure and electrical services across the district.

Mr Ronald said some of the projects included gravelling of internal roads in Xaixai, Qangwa, Gumare, Etsha 1, Samochima, Ghani, Sekondomboro and Gudigwa as well as paving of roads in Shakawe, Seronga and Gumare.

The funds would also be used for drilling and equipping a borehole at Nxauko, maintaining streetlights at Etsha 6 and electrifying Habu Primary School and kgotla offices.

He said that significant progress has been made on the said projects adding that the gravelling project in Gumare also encompassed paving the road, which would be undertaken under the Ipelegeng Skills Development Component set to commence this month. ENDS