23 Oct 2016

Institutions have been challenged to take a role in development initiatives rather than depend on government for decision making.

They should also help their communities develop, be self-reliant and come up with ideas that could transform communities.

The Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Ms Botlogile Tshireletso, said this when addressing dikgosi, village development committees, parents and teachers associations, village extension teams and village health committees in Taupye and Shakwe recently. 

She said local institutions had distanced themselves from each other and did not support each other nor shared information amongst themselves.

She said in some instances, an institution would have an activity without the knowledge of others.

She therefore urged them to work together as a team and know their mandate.

She said it was important for institutions to comply with their guiding instruments.

She advised them that sharing resources, such as telephones, transport amongst themselves was advisable as they would reap their desired goals of community development.

Ms Tshireletso said the relative success of community development endeavors depend largely on the strength of local institutions because they help create inclusiveness and strengthen central-local government relations, and in the process enhance democracy.

She said governance by local institution leaders help in governing and managing the affairs of the community, meet people’s needs, be able to solve problems and improve livelihoods.

She explained that as leaders they should involve community members including marginalized ones, in decision making and planning processes.

The assistant minister also said as leaders they should ensure that most of their community members, if not all participate and benefit from village activities, especially development activities.

Therefore, she encouraged them that transparency and accountability were vital to local structures so as to achieve good governance, which will enable them to lead a more effective process of community development.

She noted that there should be a system by which they as local institutions work, adding that dikgosi should act as a link between communities and structures that existed within their communities. ENDS