03 Mar 2015

District Administration Tender Committee (DATC) secretary servicing Mahalapye District Commissioner’s Office resides in Serowe on a temporary basis to address shortage in Central District, the Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Ms Botlogile Tshireletso has said. 

Responding to a Parliamentary question, Ms Tshireletso said her ministry has advertised the positions more than three times and in all instances, they were unable to attract qualified candidates from the market hence they rationalise available manpower to close the gaps. 

She said the District Commissioner’s office has been operating with only two officers in the whole Central District to cover the nine sub districts and headquarters, hence the initiative to assign the duo five institutions each. 

Mahalapye office does not have the position of DATC Secretary in their establishment, she said. 

Ms Tshireletso said this arrangement has been overstretching resources such as human, material, financial and time. 

She however said this has not caused delays in attending to tender issues in Mahalapye as the committee has been meeting on a weekly basis and convening special meetings when the need arise. 

The Assistant Minister however said they have been able to fill 12 vacant positions of DATC Secretaries in districts and a post has been created in Mahalapye with the candidate ready to assume duty. 

She was responding to a question from Mahalapye West MP Joseph Molefe who had asked if the minister was aware that the District Tender Committee Officer who services Mahalapye District Commissioner’s office was based in Serowe and that this caused delays in attending to tender issues at Mahalapye office. 

He wanted the minister to state if there were any plans to have a dedicated officer based in Mahalapye. ENDS