02 Mar 2015

Government is determined to eradicate abject poverty, the Assistant Minister for Presidential Affairs and Public Administration, Mr Philip Makgalemele, said this in Bobonong on February 26.

Mr Makgalemele was in the Bobonong constituency to brief the residents about the mandate of his ministry stating that there were 45 packages introduced by government to wipe out abject poverty by 2017.

Such packages included bakery, fishery, catering, horticulture, otherwise known as backyard garden, and many others; he advised the residents to come up with other packages they considered suitable and achievable at their respective areas.

Mr Makgalemele, also Member of Parliament for Shoshong, further defined poverty as a multidimensional and broad phenomenon, including the lack of income, education, basic needs such as housing, and ill-health, among others.

As such, the assistant minister pleaded with beneficiaries to fully utilise such programmes so that they graduate from it to become economically independent citizens. 

He advised that all citizens should be involved in the fight against poverty and lamented that villages should establish cooperatives that can support poverty eradication activities.

He said the fact that some poverty eradication projects were not flourishing defeated the intended purpose of the programme.

Of the backyard gardens, he said government understood that there was shortage of water in the country but he citied areas like Bobirwa which has a lot of underground water that could be used to facilitate the projects.

About people living with disabilities he informed residents that government was intending to amend the disability policy and that soon such people would be issued with disability cards and receive a P300 monthly allowance to improve their lives.

He further explained that such people who hold qualifications would be accorded priority in job openings in government and private sector.

However, the assistant minister stated that there were some concerns raised by people that they were not serviced timely and in a respectable manner; as such, he urged public servants to offer services diligently.

He said through the customer service oriented Ten-point-agenda, the ministry was determined to reduce red tape and bureaucracy as well as reduce corruption in the entire civil service and also advised residents not to keep hiccups they encounter but channel them to relevant authorities.

During his welcome remarks in Bobonong, Kgosi Mmirwa Malema had informed the minister that the area was anticipating severe drought due to poor rains and called for special dispensation to cushion people from poverty.

Kgosi Malema said there should be special programmes relevant to Bobirwa as the area was frequented by droughts and Foot and Mouth Disease which has turned people into destitutes. 

Village Development Committee chairperson in Bobonong Mr William Mogale said Bobirwa area employed 1 622 people in Ipelegeng projects monthly and that the number needed to be increased due to crop failure this season. 

Mr Mogale further said 1506 had been registered for the poverty eradication programme and a few had been assisted so far.

In Bobonong and Tsetsebye, the residents stated that there was a need for the establishment of a disability office in the area so that such people could be assisted accordingly.  ENDS