22 Sep 2015

The Assistant Minister for Presidential Affairs and Public Administration Mr Dikgang Makgalemele has encouraged local authorities in the North West region to tactically implement government programmes aimed at poverty eradication.   

Addressing the region’s officials recently during a meeting dubbed poverty backlog eradication, the assistant minister said district councils had a duty to re-create programmes in a special manner to suit their localities.   

Mr Makgalemele highlighted that government had set the end of September as the deadline for poverty backlog eradication.   

However, the North West district officials appealed for more time  because challenges such as lack of funds would hinder them to meet the September deadline.  

Ngamiland District Commissioner (DC) Ms Chabongwa Matseke pointed out that the Social and Community Development (S&CD) office had a high number of packages not fully implemented due to lack of funds and that the council was awaiting approval of funds requested from headquarters.   

Ms Matseke said the agricultural package of small stock also had high numbers as people in the North West region preferred it, while those implemented by Gender Affairs department had few numbers.   

The poverty eradication coordinator, Mr Keeme Mokgadi pointed out that the back log for all poverty eradication programmes stood at 1168 in the region.   

However, Mr Mokgadi said 646 people were awaiting training, 314 beneficiaries were partially assisted, and 208 were waiting to receive packages, while 4150 people were awaiting assessment in the region.   

He noted that they experienced challenges of transport, limited supplies, training facilities, and recurrent Foot and Mouth Disease  outbreak. He said they had put measures in place such as the use of community halls, monitoring and stakeholder visits, and liaising with other departments.   

Maun East Member of Parliament Mr Kostantinos Markus requested that special packages for Sankoyo, Mababe and Khwai settlements be explored because their backyard gardens are vulnerable to wildlife visitations.   

Mr Makgalemele highlighted that poverty eradication packages were in two forms; those that are social programmes and aimed to lessen life hardships, while the other packages were meant for economic empowerment and employment creation.   

He emphasised the importance of education on poverty eradication, noting that some people were impoverished due to unemployment; some were in relative poverty while others were in abject poverty. He however said that if the two levels of poverty were not addressed timely, they would lead to abject poverty. Ends