09 Apr 2017

Age assessment committees have been administratively established as ad hoc structures to assist in the late registration of people who are unable to determine their own age, especially in the remote areas/settlements as well as those who registered, but had not stated their ages

properly, Parliament has been told.

 

Minister of Nationality, Immigration and Gender Affairs, Mr Edwin Batshu said the meetings of the committees that were made up of different structures were held as and when necessary (that is, when there was a case to be assessed), facilitated by the Department of Civil and

National Registration in the ministry.

 

Mr Batshu said due to manpower challenges, the committee had not been meeting as it ought to.

 

He said through universal registration companies and on spot mobile registration, the ministry had been able to cover Xere, Kedia, Mmea, Mokubilo and Khwee in Boteti Constituency to register those in need during the period.

 

He said in the past two years, the age assessment committee met only once in the Boteti Constituency in November 2015 in Setoto settlement.

 

Mr Batshu said four people were assessed at the said meeting, in addition to 530 people registered through such initiatives as the Universal Registration Campaigns and on spot mobile registration, which were undertaken on November/December 2016.

 

He further said a schedule had since been drawn for the committee to meet in the first quarter of 2017/18 financial year, covering Letlhakane, Rakops, Matswake, Mmatshumo, Khwee, Gigai, Mokoboxane, Mopipi, Ditawana, Setoto, Mmea, Mokubilo and Xhumo. 

 

He said this was to ensure outstanding requests were attended to.

 

He was answering MP for Boteti East, Mr Sethomo Lelatisitswe, who wanted the minister to state the members of the Age Assessment Committee in Letlhakane and its mandate.

 

MP Lelatisitswe also wanted to know why it was difficult for the committee to meet and deliver its mandate as well as the number of meetings the committee had held in the past two years.

 

He also wanted the minister to state the number of people who had been assisted through the dispensation from the Boteti East Constituency and their villages.

 

Mr Lelatisitswe also wanted to know the reason why the committee was unable to meet and what he was doing to correct the anomaly. ENDS