18 Feb 2020

Good Hope Sub-district has 1 668 beneficiaries of the poverty eradication programme, the council chairperson Mr Boniface Leshomo has revealed.

Speaking on February 17 during the opening of the last council session for the financial year 2019/2020 in Good Hope, the newly appointed council chairperson said the council continued to drive government’s roadmap of eliminating poverty and creating employment by executing Poverty Eradication programmes.

He indicated that the beneficiaries were aided by the initiative to improve their quality of life.

To equip the youth in the rural areas with essential skills, Cllr Leshomo indicated that 28 youths had been supported through the Rural Area Development Programme.

He noted that the programmes included brick moulding, bakery, sewing and egg production , which he said had taken advantage of the new school feeding programme.

“From those assisted, eight beneficiaries were employed by Botswana Police, Botswana Prisons Services and Botswana Defence Force,” he said.

On other issues, Cllr Leshomo said ISPAAD programme, for both Good Hope and Mmathethe, had assisted about 589 farmers.

He noted that payments for different ISPAAD projects were ongoing and about P9 165 585 had been used up.

On health issues, Cllr Leshomo said the Sub-district was experiencing serious shortage of staff in different departments.

He indicated that the recommended number of doctors needed at Good Hope Primary Hospital was 12, but currently they were functioning with seven.

Cllr Leshomo noted that the eye clinic had one specialist and the dental clinic was currently non-functional due to unavailability of equipment.

He however said it was expected to start operating by the end of February 2020. 

Cllr Leshomo advised councillors to drive the government transformation agenda of a digitised and knowledge based economy, which would aid in providing conducive environment and attract investors to the district. ENDs