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GHANZI DISTRICT COUNCIL. BALA/ ICLD MUNICIPAL PARTNERSHIPS PROGRAMME. Ghanzi District Council is faced with a mammoth task of developing its communities as poverty is widespread in the whole District.
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BALA/ ICLD MUNICIPAL PARTNERSHIPS PROGRAMME • Ghanzi District Council is faced with a mammoth task of developing its communities as poverty is widespread in the whole District. • This therefore means a lot of resources need to be inclined towards the community or efforts that will later have trickling down benefits to the community. • Therefore a partnership with the Swedish Municipalities is a great opportunity to realize our people centered efforts.
PROFILE OF GHANZI DISTRICT • Ghanzi District is located in the Western Region of the country. The Western region itself is located in the south and west of Botswana from 21°S to 27°S and 20°E to 25°E, and covers an area of approximately 221,579 km².
Cont’n The region is bordered by • Ngamiland District in the north, • Central District in the east, • Kweneng and Southern Districts in the southeast, • Namibia in the west and South Africa in the South. • This Western region is composed of Ghanzi and Kgalagadi Districts
Cont’n • The District has only one Sub District; Charleshill, and it stretches from Chobokwane to Metsimantsho, covering Chobokwane, Tsootsha, Karakubis, New Xanagas, Charleshill, Makunda, Kole, Ncojane and Metsimantsho
Cont’n DEMOGRAPHICS • Estimated population of Ghanzi District according to the 2001 population census is 32 481. • The population is twisted towards males with 16 564 males and 15 917 females.
Cont’n COUNCIL VISION • To provide people centred infrastructure, integrated social services and economic empowerment programs for improved quality of life. COUNCIL MISSION • To be a lead Council in the provision of basic infrastructure and social services for improved quality of life of the community.
Cont’n MANDATE • Gantsi District Council is mandated to provide infrastructure, social services and economic development through planned programmes and projects. • Council’s responsibility therefore includes public health, primary education, water services, roads, programmes designed for Remote Area Dwellers (RADS), destitute programs etc.
LOCATION • Ghanzi District is situated en-route of the Trans-Kalahari road, 700km from capital city Gaborone squeezed between Kgalagadi District and the North West District. • It is a gateway to tourism centres like North West and the Chobe regions. • Ghanzi District is home to the Central Kalahari Game Reserve as one of the largest game reserve in Botswana endowed with assorted wildlife and plant species. • Predators like lion, hyena, spotted wild dogs are residents of this magnificent eco system.
Cont’n • Intercultural communication is common in this place because of diverse ethnicity tribes of ; • Basarwa, • Bakgalagadi • Baherero and • Afrikaaners
ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES • Cattle rearing is the economic spine of this region and contributes to the diversification of the economy from mining to the agricultural sector.
ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES • The economy in Ghanzi Township is still open as it is still growing. • There are opportunities which can benefit the people to establish their businesses with less competition and access of raw materials. • Through cattle rearing, opportunities in beef industry are still available. • The current bus rank was developed without wet stalls as the project was scaled down but there is a high demand for market stalls to cater for the informal sector
Cont’d • However profits will be realized by utilization of the existing space for other activities such as advertisements, rallies, public events etc
DEVELOPMENTS Developments within the township include the following though not limited to; • tarred internal roads, • telecommunication system in place, • supply of potable water, • connection into sewerage system and electrification of households and street lights.
PRIVATE SECTOR AND NGO’S • Private Organizations and Non Governmental Organizations’ (NGO’s) are rendering services to the public just like in well developed towns and cities. • In settlements, we have NGO’s (Kuru and Permaculture) which are currently engaged in community projects for the under privileged which have created jobs for the communities.
ACCOMODATION • Accommodation for visitors and tourists can be arranged from a hotel,lodges,guest houses and camping sites with good facilities. • All these can accommodate approximately 279 people.
WEATHER CONDITIONS • Flaunting an atmosphere of compatible weather seasonally; Ghanzi District experiences very hot weather during summer and • cold winters with short hours during the day and long hours in the nights respectively
TOURISM ATTRACTIONS • Ghanzi District offers a wide selection of attractions, the absolute variety of which will motivate and delight visitors. • These include the wildlife, Kuru dance and the ‘Mogwaafatshe’ house commonly used by the Basarwa from the ancient years. • These temporary structures can be found in Kuke,a settlement along the Ghanzi –Sehithwa road.
PROJECTS • Ghanzi District Council has managed to execute various developmental projects and programmes ranging from; • water reticulation and desalination projects, • RADS farms, • electrification of public facilities, and • destitute rehabilitation.
Cont’n • bus rank, • tarring of internal roads, • Clinics, • RADS hostels and • Council chamber which houses 34 Councillors, 15 Media personnel, 15 Public members and 20 Heads of Departments
INTENDED PROJECTS FOR PARTNERSHIP Abattoir • Ghanzi District is a major supplier of cattle at Botswana Meat Commission which are approximately 637 km apart. • The District lacks an abattoir which the Council has proposed and it has been approved. • Unfortunately, because of global recession the Council went as far as designing and is still awaiting funding to proceed with construction. This will benefit the community of Ghanzi District which has been longing for this development through the employment of locals, which by so doing would improve their standard of living.
Community Development • The Council is also mandated in community development projects ,and strategies are being developed to sustain these. • Thus, another area in which the Council would like to partner in as to develop the community of Ghanzi District effectively.
Cont’n • Some projects already taking place are small scale backyard industries like: bakeries, sewing, bead work, poultry and arts & painting. Some intended projects are: Gardening and orchards, Curio shops, and cultural villages. These need technicalities as the beneficiaries in this District are still being nurtured to sustain themselves. It is a challenge as some intend to abandon these projects
Land Servicing • Currently plots in Ghanzi Township are being allocated in unserviced land due to lack of funding for land servicing even though there is a high demand for land. • Ghanzi has a high water table hence developing plots without the sanitation infrastructure would possibly lead to underground water pollution. Therefore we request assistance in land servicing.
SQUATTING • This is one of the challenges facing the District • Especially in the Township • Efforts to address this problem through the Land Use Planning Committee (relocation to neighboring settlements)have proved futile. • Reality: A lot of squatters(indigent) have no permanent residence as they are from the surrounding farms, even though others are from different areas within Botswana. • This is one area we would like to partner on.
VILLAGE/SETTLEMENT PLANS • There is a high demand for land in most of our settlements; • however there are no development plans to guide the land use to enable sustainable use of land. • This is mainly due to shortage of funds for the preparation of such development plans. • This forms one of the areas of incorporation.
Kuke Development plan is being done inhouse • Other areas have not being covered due to shortage of funds Consultation for Kuke settlement plan
Cont’n Sports & Recreation in the District • Open spaces for recreation have been reserved for recreational purposes. • However, almost all of them are not used because they are not developed.
Cont’n • The recreational facilities can assist the youth in engaging in non-alcohol / drug related activities and even assist in the fight against crime since they will be kept off the streets and into something more productive since sporting can now be taken as a career
Cont’n • Expansion of revenue services • The Local Authorities revenue is very minimal and only contributes 10% or less to its budget and 90% or more comes from Government, • The issue here is for the Local Authorities to find ways of generating more income that would at least contribute 50% of its revenue.
Cont’n Council has identified possible areas of revenue generation which includes; Truck Inn-Council to acquire and develop an open space for overnight truck parking and rest. Property development-council will develop properties such as staff houses at Kuke and a shopping center in the township for rental/lease
Cont’n • Extension of property rates to the district-Properties to be valued and rated • More areas of partnerships are still to be explored as the District is abundant with opportunities! Thank You!!!!!!