10 Sep 2020

Letlhakeng sub-district needs funds amounting to P22.2 million for the implementation of Ipelegeng programme during the 2020/2021 financial year.

Presenting the project memorandum report during Letlhakeng special sub-council meeting on September 9, Ipelegeng programme coordinator, Ms Masego Sabata said they would engage 3 280 beneficiaries on a monthly basis making a total of 25 435 employees for the whole year.

Ms Sabata said the funds would also be used to implement a total of 206 projects which included maintenance, construction, paving, dam desilting, drift fences, litter picking, morning breakfast, school cleaning and debushing.

She said P14.5 million of the funds would go towards payment of labour wages, over P981 000 for material cost, P4.3 million for protective equipment, P306 000 for small tools while P2 million will go towards COVID- 19 expenditure.

Ms Sabata told councillors that Ipelegeng programme was in line with the two pillars of Vision 2036 which emphasise human social development and sustainable economic development.

She said the vision outlined that the country would support the SMMEs so as to increase their productivity. “In order to comply with this strategy, the sub-district will engage local suppliers to feed the beneficiaries under the sustenance initiative. There will also be artisans engaged in maintenance and construction projects,” she added.

Further, she said through the programme, all qualifying individuals including people living with disabilityes and the youth would be engaged.

She added that there were also a number of projects aimed at cleaning villages such as vegetation control, litter picking and debushing, dam desilting which would assist farmers in conserving water for their livestock.

Councillors were happy with the return of Ipelegeng programme particularly that Letlhakeng sub-district is among the many districts with high number of unemployed people. Councillor

Tsabahule Kgothang of Maboane/Ditshegwane Ward said he was happy that electorates would go back to earning something for a living because many Batswana were reliant on Ipelegeng and that went a long way in fighting poverty.

Councillor Osupile Metseebapile of Khudumelapye/Sesung Ward expressed concern about the late announcement for hiring Ipelegeng workers, saying that denied other people opportunity to be engaged and benefit from the programme.

He said he was also not happy about the choice of projects as he had wished for a project that would deal with flooding in his ward to which Ms Sabata said it could still be done as long as it involved labour.

Councillor Johane Gaosafele of Takatokwane/Dutlwe Ward requested Ipelegeng office to undertake local empowerment initiatives so that the local business could benefit from the protective equipment budget.

He said it would be amiss to overlook local people for bigger companies while they had talent to produce goods of the required standard.

Councillor Lopang Sebutlenyane of Salajwe Ward said he was worried about the  Ipelegeng programme transport fleet as most vehicles had broken down.

He requested that they be assisted to ensure they did their job without any hindrance. ENDS