05 Jul 2020

More than 14 000 families have received COVID-19 relief food packages in Tutume Sub-district during phase 1 of the national lock down.

Giving an update on the food relief programme during the Vice President, Mr Slumber Tsogwane’s meeting with COVID-19 teams and councillors in Tutume on Thursday, the sub-district council senior assistant council secretary, Mr Maipelo Selatolo said the hiccups encountered regarding assessment and registration of those eligible for assistance were addressed.

Mr Selatolo noted that some cases of double dipping were registered while some beneficiaries queried the contents of the packages.

He said prior to distribution of the COVID-19 food supplies, some families had already been assisted with food that had remained when schools were shut down before lockdown.

Many of those who were in dire need of food relief, he said, were assisted adding that businesses and individuals also lent a helping hand.

Meanwhile, the Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Kgotla Autlwetse explained that not everyone could have been assisted with food during the period of extreme social distancing. He said government urged companies not to retrench employees.

Mr Autlwetse said public servants and those employed by companies that received wage subsidies to pay staff did not qualify for food assistance.

He said those receiving food aid under government programmes were not supposed to benefit because they were already being assisted.

Mr Autlwetse raised concerned about suppliers who in the face of the COVID-19 crisis wanted to enrich themselves by unreasonably hiking prices of commodities noting that councils were instructed not to buy from such people.

He appealed to councilors to always share with their communities information from government so that they were not misled.

For his part, Vice President Tsogwane urged Batswana to stand united and address issues that concern the nation without politicising them. Ends