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The Beitbridge Town Council offices

Mashudu Netsianda, Senior Reporter
BEITBRIDGE Town Council has applied to the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing seeking an upgrade to municipality status.

Town Secretary Mr Loud Ramakgapola said the Ministry has since appointed a commission to hear residents’ views on the application and make recommendations to the Minister in terms of the Urban Councils Act.

Residents have been given up to October 23 to make written and oral submissions to the commission, which will be in the border town from October 24 to 28.

“We have applied to the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing for a municipality status. In fact, there are several decisive factors that come into play before a town is upgraded into a municipality such as infrastructural development, road network, and population, the issue of security, availability of health and education facilities and access to air travel. As a town we somehow think that we meet the criteria,” said Mr Ramakgapola.

He said in the event that the town is upgraded to a municipality, there would be an improvement in terms of service delivery and the value of properties.

“If the town gets municipality status, it will grow economically and there will be an improvement in service delivery since the budget will also be higher and the value of properties will also go up and our standards will also be higher,” said Mr Ramakgapola.

He said council intends to dualise major roads and the local authority has also engaged an investor to construct a big shopping mall.

“We are planning a water reservoir and big shopping mall including a library and another hospital as part of our efforts to get municipal status. We have four secondary schools, six primary schools and the population is also growing,” said Mr Ramakgapola.

The town has been growing rapidly after it was granted town status in 2007.

Town councils are headed by town secretaries while municipalities are headed by a town clerk. — @mashnets