17 May 2017

Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Nationality, Immigration and Gender Affairs, Mr Montshiwa Montshiwa says non-state actors are an important part of the development of this country.

Officially opening capacity building programme to civil society organisation under the empowerment of non-state actors workshop on May 16, Mr Montshiwa said before independence non-state actors took part in the education system, health sector and other sectors that led to the development of the country.

Furthermore, he said with the aim of strengthening the partnership and the role of non-state actors in the development of the country, it became apparent that there was a need to build  capacity ahence therefore the broader programme that government was running with European Union delegation through the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development.

“I want to thank the European Union delegation for finding it fit to partner with the government of Botswana in the programme that seeks to strengthen or to empower non-state actors to actively take part in the development of the country,” he said.

The programme, he said had many phases and one on them was specifically to support Non-Governmental Organisations.

He said based on the Mapping Study of Botswana  that was undertaken in 2015,and continuous monitoring during the implementation period of the Empowerment of Non-State Actors (ENSA) programme, a number of capacity areas of significance that required strengthening were identified.

He said the capacity gaps identified included amongst others, poor financial management, poor government structures, strategy development, lack of documentation of lesson learnt, and lack of sustainability plans.

He said organisations were judged by their prudence in financial organisation adding that for the success of any organisation there should also have resource optimisation and information management.

Mr Montshiwa told the gathering that human resource was important given that NGO’S were non-profit making organisations, thereore it was important for them to attract people who would be in a position to assist them do their work. ENDS