16 Mar 2025

Ministry of Local Government and Traditional Affairs has acceded to the request of changing Hukuntsi District Council to a neutral name of Kgalagadi District Council.
However, Assistant Minister in the ministry, Mr Ignatius Moswaane told on Parliament Wednesday that internal processes were in progress as the change equally affected the district administration name. Once a collective decision had been reached, he said the district would be informed accordingly for the new name to be adopted and put into use.
Additionally, he said there were 45 staff members deployed to the district after being declared a fully-fledged district council. The number comprised of four officers at E-salary scale, 38 at D- salary scale, one officer at C1-salary scale and two officers at B-salary scale.
Mr Moswaane said the number and salary/grades of vacant posts was 15 consisting of; four D-salary scale, eight C-salary scale and three B-salary scale, adding that the recruitment process for filling vacant posts was at various stages and should be completed within a month. “Following the upgrading of Hukuntsi sub-district to a fully-fledged district, the budget allocation has changed in the financial year 2023/24 with the approved budget for the district being P101 260 030 for recurrent.” Mr Moswaane said this represented an increase of P17 529 060 or 21 per cent from P83 730 970 approved budget for the financial year 2022/2023.
“For the current financial year 2024/25, the district approved budget was P117 442 300, bringing about an increase of P16 182 270 or 16 per cent over and above the financial year 2023/2024 budget.”
Mr Moswaane said there was no provision for construction of a council chamber at Hukuntsi and fire station in Kgalagadi North during the current financial year on account of budget constraints adding that the ministry through Hukuntsi district council would submit these projects for consideration with other priorities under DDP 9 and NDP 12.
MP for Kgalagadi North, Mr Reason Lekutlane had wanted to know when will Hukuntsi district council change its name to a neutral one as previously promised, the number of staff deployed to the district after being announced as a full district and the number of salary/grades of vacant posts and when they will be filled.
He also wanted to know if the budget allocation had changed after the transition from the sub district level and by how much, when the ministry intended to construct a council chamber at Hukuntsi and when will the ministry construct a fire station in Kgalagadi North. ENDS