15 Sep 2015

The Assistant Minister for Presidential Affairs and Public Administration Mr Dikgang Makgalemele has implored the private sector to assist government in its goal to eradicate abject poverty.

Addressing the Lobatse administrative and political leadership on Monday September 14, Mr Makgalemele said government holds the poverty eradication programme in high esteem and therefore determined to have eradicated abject poverty by March 2017.

Mr Makgalemele therefore called on the private sector to find itself a place in assisting government to eradicate abject poverty. He said the private sector can play a meaningful role especially in terms of projects monitoring and mentoring.

The assistant minister also applauded the private sector for its its contribution to the Presidential Housing Appeal, adding that their donation of houses to underprivileged people is “a great contribution to the eradication of poverty in Botswana.”

Mr Makgalemele also called upon the political leadership to mobilise the community to also find a way on contributing towards eradicating poverty. He also urged the community to find a way of coming together and coming up with projects that could assist the less privileged in their neighborhood.

Upon realisation that there is a huge backlog in training and procurement of goods for poverty eradication projects, Mr Makgalemele said, the ministry has taken a decision to stop the assessment of people living in poverty.

He said the ministry rather intends to concentrate on training and procuring goods for those people who have already been assessed. Mr Makgalemele therefore urged the Lobatse leadership to ensure that there are no backlogs in terms of training and procurement for the beneficiaries to start up their businesses by September 30.

He said it has been evident that the poverty eradication projects that have been set up, if fully attended to and given the much attention they deserve by the beneficiaries can empower the locals to graduate from poverty to high income earners.

Through the Local Economic Empowerment Schemes that have been put in place, Mr Makgalemele said it is possible for these beneficiaries to find themselves graduating to even doing business at national and international level through the Economic Diversification Drive.

The Minister also advised the programme implementers to assist the beneficiaries to consider taking up alternative projects in situations where there is market saturation for the desired projects.

He said this will assist the beneficiaries in making sure that they profit up and find opportunity for growth in their businesses.

Giving the overview of the Poverty Eradication Programme in Lobatse, principal home economics officer Ms Tebogo Mahlunge told the gathering that Lobatse district does not have any backlogs with regard to assessment.

Ms Mehlunge said of all the 105 beneficiaries who had applied, it was only four applicants intending to operate an upholstery and leather works who have not been trained as there are no training facilities in Lobatse for such businesses.

She however said some interventions were being done to source training for these beneficiaries. She also indicated that seven backyard gardening projects in the district have been suspended due to water shortage adding that due to slow procurement some projects have only been partially packaged while others continue to operate.

The political leadership of Lobatse however expressed concern that the poverty eradication beneficiaries were not getting value for the money that has been invested in these projects.

Newlook Maipei councillor, Mr Mosimanekgotla Botanka expressed concern at the project implementation advising for the need to turn these projects into long term projects, saying that was the only way the projects could improve livelihoods and eliminate poverty. ENDS