Twelve months since being elected and assuming the office of Mayor of Francistown, Councillor Gaone Majere hosted a meet and greet session with the city’s business community.
The session was to chart the roadmap to reviving the city’s business environment, make it a destination of choice and hive of investors once again. Mayor Majere pledged his support to ensure Francistown business sector ticks and thrives.
“I know many of you have weathered many challenges from the closure of the mines, to the effects of the COVID 19 pandemic. But here you are still standing and soldiering on. I believe with the support of my office and of government, businesses in this city will boom once more. The purpose of today’s session to map the way of how we can resuscitate the economy, make the business environment better and bigger than yester year”, said Mayor Majere.
He said the key areas the local authority wants to drive are economic diversification, renewable energy, youth unemployment and transformation of the public sector service.
“As the leadership of the city we do not wish to see an investor being tossed from pillar to post, when in need of service. This must be the thing of the past. Help us to identify the red tape which is hindering you the business community for doing business”, remarked Majere.
“We must unravel the red tape and ease doing business in Francistown. All we envision is to ensure you create employment for our young people, the unemployed and attract skilled labour. As your Mayor I know and see your resilience in business.”
Managing Director of Quip-Co, Gavin Viljoen lamented at government’s nonchalant attitude at diversifying the country’s economy.
“We held similar meetings 20 years ago and as the private sector we put forward 10 points of how to diversify the economy away from diamonds. Similar meetings were held five and 10 years later but still no change or action. Those points are still relevant, check your Council records, they are filed somewhere”, opined Viljoen. Supplier of mining and industrial products.
He advised that Botswana should open up and ease restrictions for the business people. “Botswana is anti-expatriates, anti-foreigners when we don’t have the highly skilled experts. All you want is locals when there is a huge lack of skills base. Our economy is over regulated; this is another impediment. Review such policies and laws.”
An upcoming business trader who packages and distributes sugar, Khumo Makopo decried lack of trading space for small business owners and informal traders. “It is next to impossible to get space in this city especially for us who are still trying to break into the world of business. Of the open spaces and market areas owned by Council around the city, individuals claim to own them. Each time I tried to put a mobile, I was being told the space belongs to someone. Please Mr Mayor tell us where and how people like me can find trading space in this city!”
Business Botswana Francistown Council chairperson, Babes Makwinja said the service and attitude from employees in Government offices is shoddy and deplorable.
“As we go to seek services from Government departments the employees’ treat us badly, drag their feet and their service is horrible. They forget the service levies; taxes we pay are their source of revenue for Government to pay their salaries. Customer service in public sector is extremely poor and if we are to take this country to greater heights business wise, drastic change must take place,” said Makwinja.
Meanwhile, preschool owner of The Bees Hive Academy Ontifile Gaokgorwe called for more networking sessions for Francistown business owners and local leadership.
