05 Sep 2016

 

 Assistant minister of Local Government and Rural Development Ms Botlogile Tshireletso has urged members of the Village Development Committees (VDC’s) for Nkange constituency to have long term plans for their respective villages.

 Sensitising the committees at a meeting recently in Tutume for all VDC’s in the constituency, Ms Tshireletso noted that often VDC’s decried lack of funds for them to run their offices and bring on developments.

 These, she said should not be an excuse because today’s committees had been empowered to come up with different initiatives which could  help them to fundraise hence make capital enough to develop their villages.

The assistant minister highlighted to them that in some areas many VDC’s are running projects which inject funds in their coffers and these comes from good planning with a proper long terms plans in place. 

She pointed out that before there have been concerns that a two years term in office was not enough for the committee in office to get their things in order and start implementation of their plans. 

It is thus that  government took into consideration their plea hence increased their term in office from two to three years so that the first year they could  make preparations and fundraising initiatives and the other years are all about implementation.

She was however of the view that failure at times comes as result that nominations for the members were  done in line of friend not on capabilities. 

And this she said is one of the major factors that lead to failure of VDC’s adding that some of the members because they are nominated on the basis of friend they do not attend to the VDC’s issues or events but would not miss meeting as they are eyeing the seating allowance.

Ms Tshireletso therefore appealed to the committees to show dedication on their volunteering work and noted that as the government they are aware of the sacrifices they make hence issues of their allowances will be looked into.

Applauding the assistant minister for her visit, the committees however raised that nomination for members should be in line with how illiterate a person is not only on age. 

This they said is because some people will be nominated to positions only to be seen at later stage that they are illiterate and as such they proposed that prior to final nomination inspiring nominees  should be screened so that at least there are people who ended or have form three certificate.

“Today’s VDC’s there is a lot of paper work being done and it needs everybody to be in understanding of what is said and what should be done in response,” they said. 

At the same time they were also of the view that there should be a quota for the employment of pensioners in Ipelegeng as in some areas because of the use of Yes/No, at times people employed end up being only elderly people not capable to do hard work which Ipelegeng has to do. ENDS