16 Oct 2016

Minister for Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration, Mr Eric Molale has welcomed the motion that requests government to consider drafting a community consultative blue print.
He was responding to Kgosi Maruje III’s motion that requested government to consider drafting a community consultative blue print consisting of steps that outline the process of engaging tribal leaders on community projects development and life-cycle.
Speaking during the Ntlo Ya Dikgosi meeting on October 14, Mr Molale said the idea hits on the nexus of governance that is palatable for any nation.
Mr Molale said the basic unit of governance that ensures sovereignty is the village structure, being the Village Development Committee (VDC) which comprises Dikgosi and their people.
Minister Molale said the district planning handbook currently used by VDCs has overlooked to define consultation processes. He said it is important to define consultation, prioritising felt needs of community members, communicating, implementing and evaluating them.
“It is important that we should identify the stages of consultation, for them to remain in everyone’s mind,” he said. Mr Molale said participatory rural appraisal is also important, and that he has since asked the Local Government ministry to reinstate the vote for VDC workshops and conferences during National Development Plan 11.
“We are doing this because we do not want VDCs and Village Extension Teams to be at the mercy of individuals who sponsor their activities because at one point in time ‘one good turn deserves another. We want to avoid this for government to fully sponsor workshops so that consultation is done diligently,” he said.
Mr Molale further emphasised that through the process, government will also be able to communicate innovations thoroughly and across to citizens to participate with full knowledge of what was expected of them.
When tabling the motion, Kgosi Maruje III said the blueprint will emphasis the consultative process that involve members of the community because currently some projects were done within their backyard without full knowledge of village leaders.
He said it is important for all stakeholders to be taken aboard during village projects development, so that the process is participatory and involving.
“This will take everyone on board from project initiation, implementation and handing over,” he said.
Dikgosi welcomed the motion as a novel idea that will instill sense of ownership to community projects by communities and their leaders. ENDS