27 Jan 2013

 

The current government development programmes are meant to ensure that beneficiaries are empowered to be in a position to fend for themselves in future. 

This, according to Minister for Presidential Affairs and Public Administration, Mr Mokgweetsi Masisi was achieved through giving the beneficairies the opportunity, skills and tools to uplift their lives.

Mr Masisi said this when addressing a kgotla meeting in Lentsweletau last Thursday. 

The minister also talked of government commitment to fighting poverty. He said currently 22 per cent of the population was said to be affected by poverty adding that it was the responsibility of government to continue fighting pockets of abject poverty to ensure that Batswana had equal share of the country’s wealth.

He said government used programmes such as ISPAAD, ALDEP and LIMID and has also subsidised education, health, fuel and introduced community cluster policing and labour intensive public works in the poverty eradication drive.

Meanwhile, Mr Masisi has expressed concern that Kweneng East had underspent on their P2 million budget.  

He said this had the potential to deprive many of the opportunity to benefit from poverty eradication programmes adding that under-utilisation of budgeted funds was a drawback on government efforts.

On other issues, Minister Masisi said the 2011 public service strike could not be solely blamed for the  poor JC examination results as parents also had to take responsibility for not playing an active role in their children’s education.

Kweneng East legislator, Mr Moeng Pheto commended the minister for what he described as his tireless efforts in selling poverty eradication programmes. However, Mr Pheto said government’s efforts to eradicate poverty may in the long run be fruitless if barriers to the  programmes’ implementation were not removed.

He called on the political leadership and implementers to be on the same wave length to avoid instances where they relayed contradicting messages to Batswana.

Issues of shortage of resources such as transport and manpower, he said, hampered social workers to assess all deserving beneficiaries on time resulting in some potential beneficiaries being left out.

Over 620 beneficiaries from Lentsweletau, Medie, Kweneng, Dikgatlhong and Ramankgung settlements have registered for consideration and funding in projects such as horticulture, poultry and small stock farming. ENDS