16 Feb 2017

There are currently 29 people performing the duties of headman of arbitration in the Gabane-Mmankgodi constituency without any remuneration. This was said by the Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Frans Van Der Westhuizen when responding to question from the MP for Gabane-Mmankgodi Maj. Gen. Pius Mokgware in Parliament on Wednesday. Mr Van Der Westhuizen said some people from the list had been performing these duties since 1995 to 2016, while 16 had been volunteering since 1995, 10 from 2005 and three from 2010. The assistant minister however said his ministry had conducted a nationwide exercise to determine the number of unpaid headmen of arbitration which currently stands at 540. He said ‘funding for them during 2017/18 financial year has not been possible due to budgetary constraints. They will however be considered as and when funds are available during the normal budgeting process.’ MP Mokgware had asked the minister how many people were currently performing the duties of headmen of arbitration in the Gabane-Mmankgodi constituency but without any remuneration and how long this had been going on, and what the minister was doing about this. ENDS