14 Apr 2020

 Local Government and Rural Development Minister, Mr Eric Molale says the P1.2 billion budgeted for social services under the current financial year will also be used to cater for temporary relief food baskets.

Giving an update of the assessment process of the COVID–19 food relief programme, Mr Molale said the available budget would sustain all in needs of food relief for a period of three months.

“As a result of the COVID–19 we have projected to spent P500 million per month,” said Mr Molale.

Mr Molale said the P1.2 billion was to cater for among others, community home based care patients, orphans and vulnerable children as well as destitute persons, but as a result of the COVID – 19 pandemic, the limited budget would be over-stretched as it would include those who would be identified under the ongoing assessment.

Mr Molale indicated that the COVID–19 pandemic had greatly affected income-generating sectors that were driving the economy and therefore the worst case scenario would be for the disease to continue for a longer period. Mr Molale therefore stressed the need to intensify preventative measures.

He said the COVID–19 National Taskforce was currently working the structure to put in place in case the pandemic takes longer than anticipated.

In relation to the ongoing assessment aimed at identifying those that would need assistance with food baskets during the period of the COVID–19 where the community would be compelled to stay home and combat the spread of the virus, Mr Molale said food at primary schools would be used to assist those in dire need in the mean time.

Mr Molale also indicated that the programme would also purchase farm produce from the farmers. He therefore urged farmers to register and assist in the running of the programme.

Responding to questions from members of the media, Mr Molale observed that his ministry was only focused on assisting only Batswana and therefore was not in a position to state on how foreign nationals in the country would be assisted.

Mr Molale has also indicated that in an effort to necessitate the assessment process, former IEC secretary, Mr Gabriel Seeletso had been engaged as the project coordinator. Mr Seeletso is to assist in accelerating the process of running the COVID–19 food relief programme. END