23 Apr 2013

Letlhakeng East MP, Mr Liakat Kably has complained that people living with disability were not being afforded the assistance they deserved.

The MP, who was contributing to the debate on the mid-term review of NDP 10’s chapter on social upliftment in Parliament on Monday, said an approach similar to the one where such sections of the society as the youth and destitutes had programmes tailor-made for them was necessary for the disabled.

“Government should put in place programmes specifically made for these people as is the case with destitutes and the youth,” he said.

On a positive note, Mr Kably commended the Ministry of Health for working tirelessly to address issues of maternal and infant mortality.

He noted that there was also a significant decline in TB cases. MP Kably also thanked government for availing resources necessary for learning such as computers to schools.

MP for Kweneng East Major General Moeng Pheto expressed disappointment that some of the people who were supposed to benefit from various government programmes and initiatives were being denied the opportunity to benefit from such without any explanation.

Describing the situation as saddening, he said it was crucial that all deserving Batswana were helped accordingly with the view to helping them improve their lives.

For his part, MP Nehemiah Modubule of Lobatse said it was worrying that government seemed to be turning the Ipelegeng programme into a permanent form of employment.

Mr Modubule wondered whether beneficiaries would be entitled to severance benefits when employment under the programme has been made permanent.

On another matter, he called for the introduction of paternity leave so that fathers too could play a role in the early days of their children’s lives.

The MP criticised the habit by some employers of putting mothers on maternity leave on half pay; saying this was improper as that was a time when they needed the money more.

MP Botlogile Tshireletso of Mahalapye East constituency hailed the Ipelegeng programme; observing that it continued to help many Batswana to put bread on the table.

Ms Tshireletso said government’s aim was that while waiting for something sustainable to be put in place, it was important to ensure that people did not go to bed hungry.

Contributing to the same debate, MP Mmoloki Raletobana of Kweneng South East described the poverty eradication programme as a good initiative.

Mr Raletobana however, observed that for the programme to be a success there was need for it to be area-specific so that it could address the actual needs of the people using resources available in their localities.

On a different note, the MP expressed concern about the rotational employment of Ipelegeng beneficiaries, wondering how it would help them break free from poverty when they time and again found themselves out of their jobs.

Kgatleng East legislator Mr Isaac Mabiletsa slammed the country’s education system for what he termed its failure to produce graduates with the ability to successfully face life’s challenges.

The failure, Mr Mabiletsa said was evidenced by the skills mismatch where graduates could not fit into the world of work. He said the education system continued to produce ill-equipped graduates despite government putting a lot of resources into it. ENDS