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Thupeyo Muleya
Beitbridge Bureau
THE Government has released $20 million in devolution funds to Beitbridge Municipality as part of its thrust to capacitate local authorities to meet their service delivery obligations.

Beitbridge town clerk Mr Loud Ramakgapola said yesterday that the funds will be use to procure a grader and to build a classroom block for a new primary school to be located in Kwalu 2 suburb (West of Mfelandawonye) and other service delivery obejectives.

“This is a timely intervention, we intend to use the money to construct a new classroom block in Kwalu suburb, west of the Mfelandawonye area, and to also procure a grader.

“You will note that having our own earth moving equipment is critical in terms of implementing infrastructure development projects like roads, housing, and business land development,” said Mr Ramakgapola.

So far, Beitbridge Municipality has received a cumulative $31, 3 million in devolution funds in the last three years.

Mr Ramakgapola said they had procured a refuse compactor truck for $2,9 million, a backhoe loader (TLB) for $1,1 million, and a water and sanitation vehicle for $2, 2 million.

In addition, he said they made more payments for a sewer jetting machine ($19 million) and a water and sanitation vehicle.

“A total of $700 000 was used to upgrade its Information Communication and Technology facilities and buying other office equipment,” he said.

Mr Ramakgapola said they had also spent some of the devolution funds in boosting the council’s capacity to deal with solid waste management and addressing water and sanitation-related service delivery issues.

Prior to the latest move by the National Government, the local authority has been struggling to meet its obligations to the ever ballooning population due to a limited revenue base.

The town currently has an estimated 70 000 and plays host to at least 15 000 who use Beitbridge border post under normal circumstances.

It is understood that the city fathers are planning to buy a tipper and a Compressor under the same devolution initiative.

“We are looking at also improving on how we handle our solid waste management initiatives,” said Mr Ramakgapola.

Beitbridge residents and businesses are reportedly producing an estimated 1000 tonnes of solid waste monthly and the local authority is only able to collect between 700 and 800 tonnes.

The town clerk said recently that they require a total of US$382 000 to fix the current sewer reticulation problems which have become eternal as the local authority battles to provide quality services to the ever-growing population.

The current sewer facilities were constructed in the last two decades to accommodate less than 3 000 properties.

However, the city fathers have been struggling to match the town’s property growth and the provision of adequate infrastructure for water and sewer reticulation.