The Botswana Housing Corporation Chief Executive Officer, Reginald Motswaiso, has revealed that his corporation will, during NDP 10, build more houses from its own resources to address the pressing issue of shortage of accommodation.
Giving a key note address at a ceremony during which BHC was handing over 26 housing units to the Ministry of Lands and Housing in Tonota, Motswaiso said that BHC had set a target delivery of 29 191 houses, spread throughout Botswana, during the course of NDP 10.
Information reaching The Sunday Standard indicates that the project, which will be funded by BHC, will be spread out in two phases.
In the first phase, BHC will deliver over 10 000 housing units throughout the country within a period of three years. The second phase, which will cover four years, will see the corporation delivering the remainder of the houses.
BHC will also partake in third party or external projects, which cater for corporations like Botswana Defense Force, Botswana Police Services, and others. In these projects BHC will provide the external corporations with 13 342 housing units.
“I am certain that this will assist the Ministry of Lands and Housing as well as other public and parastatal organizations in addressing the issue regarding shortage of accommodation in different areas around the country,” said Motswaiso.
On other issues, Motswaiso expressed appreciation for the good working relations between BHC and the Ministry of Lands and Housing, which are partners in the ministry’s endeavor to provide accommodation to local authorities.
“I am proud to say that BHC has, over the years, completed housing development projects on time and within an allocated budget. It is because of the corporation’s sterling work and impressive track record that the ministry could not help but take notice, and eventually engage BHC to undertake housing projects for the Local Government,” he said.
Motswaiso indicated that the first District Housing Project undertaken by the corporation was in June 2007. To date BHC has successfully delivered and handed over a total of 193 housing units in areas such as Molepolole, Mochudi, Good Hope, Letlhakane and Maun.
Other government institutions, like Botswana Defense Force, Botswana Unified Revenue Services, Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime and the Independent Electoral Commission, continue to enjoy the benefits of BHC’s services.
Motswaiso also dismissed allegations that BHC and the MLGLH do not empower citizen-owned contractors as false saying that such allegations do not have substance. He maintained that the BHC endeavors, at earliest opportunity, to engage locally owned contractors in the majority of its projects.
“The housing project we are gathered here to witness today was constructed by a citizen-owned company by the name of Bulle Enterprises,” he added.
Motswaiso further elaborated they have, in the past, broken down major projects into smaller units to suit the capacities of local companies, in a bid to help them to partake in development.
