04 May 2015

Government is committed to uplifting livelihoods of people living with disabilities (PLWDs), says Minister of Local Government and Rural Development.

Addressing a kgotla meeting at Kang in Kgalagadi District recently, Minister Slumber Tsogwane indicated that government saw it fit to introduce P380 monthly allowance to all people living with disability as a way of assisting them to better their lives.

He said the allowance was one of the many several interventions to continuously better the lives of PLWDs. Mr Tsogwane noted that his ministry was working hand in hand with the Office of the President to establish other avenues geared towards empowering PLWDs.

The disability allowance, he said, would also not discriminate against those enrolled in the social welfare food basket programme. In the spirit of community empowerment, Minister Tsogwane also stated that government had decided to increase Ipelegeng quotas in Kgalagadi by an additional 135.

He said high unemployment rates in Kgalagadi and other rural areas across the country were of great concern hence the need to increase the Ipelegeng employees in rural areas.



He said the Ipelegeng programme was the main sole employer in settlements and part of it was mandatory to providing short term employment support and relief whilst at the same time carrying out essential development projects that had been identified and prioritised through the normal development planning process.

Mr Tsogwane said most of the settlement dwellers were poverty stricken and have limited means of survival apart from dependency on the Ipelegeng programme.

He further raised a concern over poor working conditions for tribal leaders across the country and noted with disappointment that a number of tribal administrators particularly Dikgosi and headmen are working under dreadful conditions despite their immense contribution towards nation building.

The minister told residents that he was aware of shortage of furniture and vehicles in most of the tribal administration offices, adding that some of the office equipment was out dated.
He stressed on the need to give tribal offices a face lift should funds permit.

The minister was responding to a concern by Kgosi Basadi Seipone of Kang who complained of awful working conditions in her Kgotla offices and highlighted that the situation hinders their efforts towards productivity in the work place. Ends