26 Jun 2013

North West District councillors are optimistic that the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development will address their concerns for the benefit of communities.

They were, on June 26, responding to a report presented by a delegation, which was sent to meet the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Peter Siele regarding financial challenges faced by the North West District Council.

Councillors were hopeful that their challenges would be addressed considering the positive response they got and thanked the minister for creating time to meet the delegation and listen to their concerns. When presenting the report, the council secretary, Mr Kwele Puso said, “we are hopeful that the ministry is working on most of our issues as the team was very supportive even though it did not promise us anything”, he added.

He said most of the recommendations were long term and the council would await the ministry's intervention. Some of the challenges that the council presented to the minister included, request for supplementary budget for maintenance of facilities as well as funding for pending developmental projects.

They also requested for the reinstatement of the resource royalties to be collected by the council and that the government should waive the destitute policy and assist people who had cattle but could not sell due to Foot and Mouth Disease.

Another issue raised was that the ministry should assist the council with P10 million that was used to pay the industrial class employees benefits when they converted to permanent and pensionable conditions of employment without budget.

In response to the challenges, the NWDC was requested to submit to the ministry cost estimates for constructing two teacher schools for Eretsha, Nxaraga, Khwai, Kajaja and Tobera settlements.

On royalties, the delegation was assured that the matter would be taken up with the Minister of Wildlife, Environment and Tourism.

Regarding the destitute policy waiver, the ministry’s view was that if the policy was waived, government would not be able to assist financially as assistance would be open to everybody. ENDS