20 Feb 2018

Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development says during the financial year 2017/18 the Ipelegeng programme quota was increased by 4 622 slots countrywide.

Answering a question in Parliament on February 19, Ms Botlogile Tshireletso said in Mabutsane Sub-district slots were increased by 141 from 1 479 to 1 620.

She said even though her ministry appreciated the high demand to increase Ipelegeng quotas countrywide, due to budgetary constraints her ministry had no plans to increase the Ipelegeng quota during the 2018/19 financial year.

“Mabutsane is a beneficiary for a special dispensation programme to alleviate poverty in the sub district,” she concluded.

MP for Jwaneng-Mabutsane, Mr Shawn Ntlhaile asked the minister if they would consider increasing the Ipelegeng quota for Mabutsane Sub-district from 1 479 to 1 900.

Also, she said her ministry was not in a position to extend provision of meals on weekends and during school vacations to pupils in Mabutsane Sub-district due to budgetary constraints.

She said it was vital that pupils be allowed to bond with parents and eat meals with them over the weekends and during vacations.

She said extending the provision of meals during weekends and school vacations would significantly increase the government budget because of the need for additional quantities, doubling of overtime for food rationers, cooks, supervisors, teachers and school head.

Ms Tshireletso was answering a question from MP Ntlhaile who had wanted to know if the assistant minister would consider extending provision of meals to weekends and during school vacations to maintain consistent nutritional supplementation to pupils in the Mabutsane sub-region. Ends