24 Jun 2014

North West District councillors have been informed that the 2012/13 Rural Area Development Programme (RADP) houses are complete and have been handed over to the beneficiaries.

On one hand, construction of the 23 houses for 2013/14 had started in Okavango with four complete at Chukumuchu and Gani while construction at the Maun Administrative Authority had not commenced as tenders were awarded during the third week of June.

The chairman, Mr Lathang Molonda informed them during the on-going full council when updating the council about progress of the programme.

He informed councillors that purchasing of livestock for six settlements had also been completed with 48 households already having received their heifers. He said quotations for supply at Tobera and Qangwa were awarded on June 9 and purchasing was on going.

Councillors were also informed that two consumer cooperatives at Mababe and Khwai had been resuscitated. Mr Molonda revealed that the Khwai Cooperative was fully stocked and had been operational since last month while the Mababe Cooperative was still in the process of getting registered and formulating guidelines under the guidance of the departments of Cooperatives and Social &Community Development.

The chairman reiterated the importance of the cooperatives, saying that they help to boost the economic activities at village level and urged councillors to ensure that proceeds from these activities are well managed for the benefit of all community members.

Mr Molonda also briefed the house about the Miss RADP reigning queen’s plan of activities during her tenure. He said the queen has come up with a plan that she would be implementing. Some activities include visits to settlements and hostels throughout the country to promote affirmative action as well as engaging in an empowerment project which entails marketing crafts from settlements.

He said to date, the queen has visited the Mababe community, attended Botswana Association of Local Authorities (BALA) conference and the poverty eradication pitso held at Qabo in the Ghanzi district where she had an opportunity to address participants at the event.

Regarding the special Okavango Poverty Eradication initiative, Mr Molonda noted that the Ministry of Local Government & Rural Development carried an assessment in the Okavango sub district to assess levels of poverty.

As one of the recommendations, he said 165 beneficiaries have been mobilized for the initiative and that five poverty eradication projects were allocated per village after assessment.

In addition, awareness training workshops were held last month for the beneficiaries at Xakao and Etsha 6 respectively. Mr Molonda said 12 beneficiaries under the initiative are undergoing sewing training at Maun Technical College while arrangements are ongoing for other beneficiaries to be trained.

Last year, the Minister of Local Government and Rural development, Mr Peter Siele informed the council that government has come up with four interventions costing over P20 million in a bid to ensure food security, reduction of the unemployment rate, provision of houses for households without durable shelter and upscale poverty eradication in the Okavango sub district. ENDS