27 Mar 2025

Chobe District Council has approved a budget of over P118 million for the 2025/2026 financial year.

Presenting the recurrent and development budget at a special full council meeting in Kasane on Wednesday the Finance and Works Committee Chairperson Councillor Percy Kasale stated that P112 415 552 was revenue support grant whereas P6 330 710 was estimated income from own sources.

He said this year’s recurrent budget had experienced a 12 per cent increase from last year while the revenue from own source had experienced a decrease.

Mr Kasale said the decrease was mainly from reduction of anticipated income from investment, sanitation fees on collection of clinical waste as primary health care service had been relocated to councils.

He said that the main sources of the council’s own funding included interest on investment at 24 per cent, sanitation fees at 17 per cent, staff housing rent at 15 per cent and trade licenses at six per cent with the remaining 38 per cent collected from other sources of income.

He expressed concern that the revenue from own source constituting only five per cent of the income for Chobe District Council. He said it was essential that the council embarked on campaigns to assist in cultivating new sources of won revenue to ensure council was able to achieve its objectives to deliver services to Batswana.

“Chobe District Council must therefore reduce its reliance on the revenue support grant for government and come up with ways of raising its own revenue.”

Mr Kasale indicated that it was time the council actualised the special purpose vehicle that would operate as the council commercial wing with a purpose to raise income for the council.

He implored the political and administrative wings to exercise financial prudence when disbursing the limited resources.

Furthermore, he urged council to come up with a solid plan geared towards collecting debts owed across different votes especially service levy and market rentals.

Responding to tthe presentation, Chobe District Council Chairperson, Mr Johane Chenjekwa reiterated the need for council to exercise financial prudence when implementing projects. 

He highlighted that council should register a trading company that would explore opportunities presented by the Kasane-Kazungula redevelopment project instead of council sitting on the sidelines of this local economic cash cow.

Mr Chenjekwa indicated that Chobe District was an agronomy hub with Pandamatenga Commercial Farms contributing 47 per cent to the national annual crop production hence he ‘this should reflect through sustainable livelihoods of people of Chobe and entire growth of the district. ENDS