06 Oct 2013

Education and mindset change are critical in the fight against poverty, the Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Ms Botlogile Tshireletso has said.

Addressing a kgotla meeting at Bokspits in Kgalagadi District recently, Ms Tshireletso said the best way to eradicate poverty was to teach those in need of government assistance how to catch fish rather than just giving them fish.

Responding to a comment by one resident, Mr Johannes Martin, Ms Tshireletso said poverty eradication beneficiaries underwent training before funding to give them competencies to manage their income-generating projects. Ms Tshireletso expressed delight that some Batswana, especially remote area dwellers, graduated from poverty after being assisted by government with five cattle per person.

She said there was room to improve the poverty eradication programme. Reviews would be done every three years to determine the need for improvement. Mr Martin had criticised government for what he called throwing money at poverty eradication projects rather than teaching beneficiaries how to help themselves walk out of poverty.

He also said it was not viable for the government to fund small stock projects in southern Kgalagadi where water was scarce. Mr Martin urged the government to open leather tannery workshops across Botswana to create employment. He said most hides and skins went to waste because there were no tanneries. Ends