02 Aug 2015

Khwee Village Development Committee (VDC) has evicted six civil servants from its houses for accumulated rent arrears, Assistant Minister for Presidential Affairs and Public Administration, Mr Dikgang Makgalemele has said.

Mr Makgalemele quashed claims that the officers were evicted as a direct consequence of the granting of free accommodation to public officers as part of the Remote Area Service Allowance (RASA).

“The information that I have been furnished with regarding the concerned officers, is that they were evicted for accumulated arrears that predated the introduction of free accommodation to officers in the said areas,” the assistant minister said.

Mr Makgalemele further said government was still working on the logistics that would facilitate the implementation of the Presidential Directive that civil servants in the Remote Area Development Programme (RADP) area be given free accommodation as a retention strategy.

“Government is currently developing the guidelines to cater for rental payment for employees staying in non-institutional houses such as VDC houses and private houses,” the assistant minister explained.

Boteti East MP, Mr Sethomo Lelatisitswe had asked whether the assistant minister was aware that Khwae VDC had evicted civil servants from their houses, after the Presidential Directive that civil servants in the Remote Area Development Programme (RADP) areas be given free accommodation as a retention strategy.

The MP also wanted to know when those employees would be given accommodation. Ends