13 Jun 2013

Government has put in place comprehensive social policies and programmes, which seek to protect people from risk and vulnerability, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Peter Siele has said.

"The policies and programmes also seek to mitigate the impact of shock in their livelihood and support those who suffer from chronic incapacities to secure basic livelihoods,” he said.

Giving a keynote address at launch of the provision of 30 500 blankets to destitute persons countrywide, Mr Siele said the policies strived to protect, prevent, promote and transform the lives of Batswana.

He explained that the blankets were part of the P6 million, which the ministry requested for the current financial year to buy blankets and radios for the needy and elderly people especially those in rural areas.

The ministry was still to receive another batch of blankets, which would be distributed to various districts across the country. The first batch would be distributed to Ghanzi, Kgalagadi, Southern, Lobatse, South East and Gaborone councils.

Mr Siele said he was happy that different stakeholders including civil servants continued to build houses for the needy. He said as the country approached the year 2016, it had become imperative for all to pull together towards the Vision 2016 ideals.

He noted that the key to prosperity for all by the year 2016 lied in the full participation and ownership of the vision by all. He explained that in their effort to contribute towards realisation of the Vision 2016 pillar of being a compassionate, just and caring nation, his ministry would continue to provide social protection in the form of social safety nets, shelter, psycho-social support, labour intensive public works, cash and food to different categories of vulnerable people in the society.

Giving a vote of thanks, Kgalagadi District Council chairperson, Mr Frank Van Der Weshuizen said he was happy that the ministry was able to secure the funds to purchase the blankets because in the past few years, the councils were unable to budget for them because of the recession.

He, however, said while they acknowledged the ministry for having bought the blankets, it would be a welcome development if in future the councils could be given the funds to purchase for themselves so that they could buy from their local retailers to sustain businesses at rural level. ENDS