19 Apr 2016

The Presidential Inspectorate Task team started its business by addressing a kgotla meeting in Molepolole on Monday.

Chaired by former vice president, Dr Ponatshego Kedikilwe, the team explained its mandate to members of the public, emphasising that they were on a mission to inspect poverty eradication and youth development funded projects.

Dr Kedikilwe said the aim was to identify progress made and the challenges as well as to come up with strategies on how existing challenges could be addressed with the help of the community.

He said it has been realised that programmes meant to benefit Batswana were taking time to reach them while some projects were also failing to take off.

Dr Kedikilwe said by inspecting projects, they should be able to get a true picture of what was happening and advise accordingly.

The former vice president challenged programme beneficiaries to ensure sustainability of their projects, adding that the team would be relying on their input to help the government yield the intended results. 

He said the community’s cooperation with the team would ensure that the team fulfilled its mandate. He said the objective was to ensure that Batswana took advantage of government programmes aimed at empowering them.

Giving their input and concerns, residents alleged poor implementation of government programmes.

They said in most cases what they were told by those rolling out the programmes did not match what happened in the offices, saying the issue of shortage of funds always crops up.

Mr Motshiping Badumetse accused public officers of poor implementation of programmes. He said beneficiaries were unable to acquire small stock from suppliers due to late payments of the supplied goats.  He called on supervisors to ensure close monitoring of officers in order to ensure that the programme benefits the target group.

One of the residents, Mr Garebatshidi Basimane expressed concern that implementers were failing to adequately drive such programmes for the benefit of illegible individuals.

Mr Kabelo Tshiamonyana was of the view that constant water shortage affected projects, and that it would hamper efforts to help Batswana to be economically independent.

He argued that alternative projects that did not require the use of water in large quantities be considered.

As for Mr Aobakwe Digobe, he pleaded with the team to consider improving the status of the Kweneng tribal offices and the Molepolole Police Station which he said were in a sorry state. 

He said the lack of office space has affected their productivity as they work under difficult circumstances.

The 11 member team appointed by President Lt Gen. Dr Seretse Khama Ian Khama will also visit Ramotswa and Mogobane. Ends