11 Nov 2015

The Assistant Minister of Presidential Affairs and Public Administration Mr Dikgang Makgalemele has announced that government intends to have eradicated absolute poverty by March 2017.

Speaking at a kgotla meeting in Shashemooke last week, the assistant minister encouraged residents to exploit existing poverty eradication programmes so that government can realise its ambitions.

He encouraged members of the public to approach his office if they have ideas that can help eradicate poverty in the country.

He advised Shashemooke residents to group themselves into syndicates so as to benefit more from the programmes.

Concerning people living with disability, Mr Makgalemele stated that it is government’s interest that they live freely like every Motswana.

He elaborated that they should be assessed by a social worker and a report be provided to prove that they have disability. Mr Makgalemele assured that people living with  disability will be given first priority when competing for jobs with others.

He explained that they are going to be assisted with P300 every month if a report issued by the social worker does indicate that they cannot do anything for themselves. 

He stated that the money should be used for the benefit of the beneficiary and urged care-givers to continue taking care of them.

He explained that government is concerned that villages do not use programmes and have since established a village scorecard to see programme availability and use by village. Mr Makgalemele encouraged residents to exploit the programmes so as to benefit from government’s projected increased purchase of their produce this year. Ends