08 Apr 2014

The Assistant Minister for Presidential Affairs and Public Administration, Mr Gaotlhaetse Matlhabaphiri says there are no formal applications for poverty eradication assistance.

Minister Matlhabaphiri informed Parliament on Monday, April 7 that once people were mobilised or become informed of the poverty eradication programme, they presented themselves before the area social workers who then registered them for later assessment.

He stated that to that end, residents of Morula and Bophirima wards in Gaborone West South constituency appeared in a large number of 1 500 to seek assistance.

As a result of the large number, a meeting was held at Gaborone West Community Hall addressed by, among others, the then Minister Mokgweetsi Masisi on November 28, 2013.

The purpose of meeting, he said, was to explain the eligibility criteria to all interested parties; hence no one should be waiting for any feedback noting that he was not aware of anyone waiting.

Mr Matlhabaphiri stated that because of the diverse nature of the projects and the varying environments within which the projects were rolled out, adding that there was no standard turnaround time.

The major stages and processes influencing turnaround time included, among others, business management and technical training, tendering processes and procurement of project inputs and equipment.

He cited that a project of Tswana chickens could take off within a month while that of small stock could go up to six months depending on the availability of stock.

The memberships of the panels which assesse the poverty eradication beneficiaries basically comprise the civil servants as technical experts. He said it was not desirable nor does he consider including the councillors to be part of the adjudication panel.

Councillors, he said got involved in the process through education, health and social services committees which endorsed the recommendation.

The Minister was answering a question from the MP for Gaborone West South, Mr Botsalo Ntuane who wanted him to state if he was aware that residents of Morula and Bophirima wards in Gaborone West South constituency have long applied for the Poverty Eradication Programme and have been waiting for response since March 2013.

If so, Mr Ntuane said he should state the turn-around time for submission, assessment, finalisation and approval of applications; and the composition of the panel for assessing Poverty Eradication applications and whether councillors were not part of the panel, if not, will he consider including them as they were familiar with the needs of the people they represent. ENDS