In an endeavour to improve its local economy and give the city the much needed facelift, Francistown City Council (FCC) has availed over 180 commercial plots for public private partnership projects.
This was revealed on Monday by the city mayor Godisang Radisigo during the ground breaking ceremony for Francistown Sports Centre project: a public private partnership project worth P3.5 million, between the City of Francistown, Sunshine property Group and Inter sport. The facility will have a five aside football pitch, padel and pickle courts, action cricket and netball courts. Construction of the sports centre begins end of August and will be complete April next year.
“As a local authority we are urging the private sector to engage with us in business ventures such as this one. The council has close to 180 plots around the city which we can partner with investors on to develop. This sporting facility is one successful PPP venture. We signed a 10-year land lease with Sunshine Property Group,” said Mayor Radisigo.
“Another successful venture we have to show is the Mummies plot, on your way to Dumela industrial. A new shopping mall has been built and recreation facility also under construction. I am inviting and urging the business community to come on board and grow the economy of Francistown.”
Although negotiations and processes for the Francistown sporting Centre dragged for eight years, Radisigo promised to ensure negotiations future public private partnership projects are quicker.
“This sporting facility will be a major attraction in Francistown. The City of Francistown and the Sunshine Property group are in a PPP model. This model is now bearing fruit. As this facility will be useful to the community in body building and a good initiative for the health of our nation”, highlighted Radisigo.
Sunshine Property Group Director Shyam Sreekaram indicated it was benefitting to be involved in the construction of the sporting centre, as the company’s roots began in Francistown before spreading its wings across the country.
“Sunshine Property Group is one of the largest privately held property groups in Botswana with strong ties in Francistown going back 22 years ago. We have never waivered our continued investment into Francistown and we take our corporate social responsibility seriously”, said Shyam Sreekaram.
