29 Jan 2020

Government will look into increasing allowances for Village Development Committee members in due course, Ntlo ya Dikgosi heard on Monday.

Responding to a motion by Ntlo ya Dikgosi, which sought to request government to pay VDC members an allowance equivalent to that of Ipelegeng programme supervisors, Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Kgotla Autlwetse argued that should such happen, government would require an estimated budget of over P63 million compared to the current annual budget of over P35 million used for VDCs.

He also explained that while they recognised the role played by VDCs in village development, currently government was incapacitated to increase their allowances because she was operating on a deficit budget as because of other equally competing needs.

Currently, he said there were 7 870 VDC members and 243 Umbrella committee members countrywide and their P420 sitting allowances were adjusted from time to time depending on availability of financial resources.

On the other hand, he said Ipelegeng supervisors were paid P651 per month and worked on a three- month rotational basis.

Mr Autlwetse also explained that VDCs and Ipelegeng were guided by two different instruments, the Local Government Regulations of 2014 and Ipelegeng Guidelines respectively, hence their allowances varied.

Also, he argued that Ipelegeng was self-targeting and aimed at providing short-term employment and relief to economically disadvantaged community members on a rotational basis, while VDC members were volunteers whose general mandate was to coordinate development activities of their respective villages for a period of three years, with meetings sitting twice or thrice a month.

The minister’s response followed a debate by members of Ntlo ya Dikgosi who had unanimously passed a motion that requested government to pay VDCs an allowance equivalent to that of Ipelegeng supervisors.

In their debate, Dikgosi argued that VDC members were engaged on day to day duties of village development just like Ipelegeng supervisors, hence the need to increase their allowances to match those of Ipelegeng.

Tabling the motion, Kgosi Moeti Monyamane of Kgalagadi North region had argued that when VDCs were established back in 1968 through a Presidential Directive, their purpose was to encourage spirit of volunteerism to steer village developments.

Kgosi Monyamane indicated that while they appreciated that VDCs were formed in the spirit of volunteerism, it was time members were greased financially to motivate them to do better.

He also said initially in yester years, Batswana heavily depended on farming, which was no longer favourable and feasible due to changing climatic conditions of today.

Also supporting the motion, some Dikgosi said VDCs were central to development of every village and played a role in assisting district authorities to come up with ideal development projects.

Kgosi Tjazako Munduu of Ngami said all village meetings were coordinated by VDCs and they shouldered immense responsibility of all village challenges, hence lower allowances would not make them keen to do their best.

Kgosi Oscar Mosielele of Moshupa region had argued that it was important for government to consider revising the allowances with an aim to increase them so that people with certain competencies would develop interest to volunteer in VDCs.

He said when people with certain skills joined VDCs, they would be empowered to come up with good initiatives and development projects for their villages. ENDS