Newly elected Gaborone City Council Mayor, Austin Abraham has promised to develop the city and bring it back to its vibrancy with less crime.
When making his acceptance speech yesterday after being elected the City Mayor unopposed, Abraham who is also the Sebele ward councillor said the Botswana Democratic Party will continue to develop Botswana’s cities and make them compete regionally and globally.
“We believe that it is only through real vision and dedicated planning that we can unlock our cities full potential and make sure that our enterprise and living standards rival those of the best cities in the world.”
He said that he was looking forward to seeing the city back to its vibrancy, children playing in the streets safely, reduced crime and night life being enjoyed in a safe manner among other things.
Abraham pointed out that among the things he is going to prioritise will include dealing with issues of mental health and psycho social support because Covid 19 has been disruptive to families in so many ways. “I will ensure that Gaborone becomes the cleanest city in the region, dealing with potholes and over grown trees and joining other stakeholders to fight Gender Based Violence.”
He also said there was need to explore the Public Private Partnership model to deliver key development around the city and working with small businesses to increase economic participation.
Abraham further thanked the outgoing Mayor, Father Maphongo, for having stepped up to the challenge during his tenure amid the Covid-19 challenges.
For his part, Maphongo said that he was excited that a democratic process was being undertaken. “I knew that this day will come one day and councillors have expressed their views through a vote. Democratic processes should be respected,” he added.
