21 Apr 2020

North West District Council has assisted 60 households at Xaxaba settlement with packages to last for a month.

Situated at the heart of the Okavango Delta, Xaxaba settlement is not easily accessible unless through air transport.

Briefing the media on the implementation of the COVID-19 social relief in the North West district,  council secretary, Mr Motlogelwa Thuso revealed that the households were assisted on April 19 with  assistance from a group of safari companies called Sanitize Maun who offered air transport to a team of officers to conduct assessment.

Mr Thuso noted that community welfare was paramount considering the consequences brought by COVID-19 pandemic, adding that some people had lost jobs while some had their income suspended. 

However, he revealed that the assessment exercise was ongoing in the district, noting that a decision had been taken to fast track assessment and assistance to all qualifying households situated in areas prone to floods before water arrives.

The areas, he said included, Morutsha, Ditshiping, Daunara, Gabamochaa, Jao flats among others which are all situated in the delta and difficult to reach during flooding season.

Mr Thuso appreciated that the district was vast with difficult terrain as some areas could be accessed by boat and air transport. 

According to the Population and Housing Census of 2011, there are 35 554 households and the council secretary said they were doing all their best to ensure that they finish the assessment soon.

He said so far 12 494 households had been assessed of which 6 080  qualified for social relief while 6414 did not qualify.

Households not qualifying, he said were those who had salary and a source of income while some were those who were already receiving assistance from the government and as such could not be assisted again.

Mr Thuso decried shortage of social workers noting that they had 124 in the district which has has 57 villages. In addition, he said they had to recruit 58 temporary social workers to augment staff involved in the assessment exercise. Ends