27 May 2021

A total of 53 housing units for Rural Area Dwellers Programme (RADP) and destitute programme have been allocated to Maun Administrative Authority (MAA) for the 2021/22 financial year.

 Updating MAA councilors on issues of social welfare recently, MAA sub-council chairperson, Mr Vepaune Moreti revealed that 35 units were for destitute programme while 28 were for RADP.

Procurement for the projects, he said, was underway with tenders expected to close the beginning of June.

Councilors also learnt that  10 out of 18 RADP housing units for financial year 2021/22 were completed while five were at finishing stage. Three of the houses at Khwai were reported to be in progress at various stages of construction.

Mr Moreti attributed the delay to lack of responsiveness by bidders noting that all the units were expected to be completed by July 2021.

With regard to destitute housing, he said they had completed 26 houses from the 42 allocated for the last financial year with 12 ongoing at various stages of completion.

The remaining four houses, he said had been submitted for retendering and were awaiting adjudication resolution, adding that the houses were expected to be completed by end of July 2021.

On issues of social welfare, Mr Moreti revealed 609 cases were being addressed through a mass assessment. 

He said 431 cases had been already assessed with 368 recommended and approved for assistance.

Department of Social and Community Development, he said was developing a single social register, which would see all programmes’ beneficiaries registered under one register provided by the department.

The register would be updated continuously. 

“This will help in identifying beneficiaries assisted more than once hence curbing issues such as double dipping,” he added.

In response, specially elected councillor, Mr Nico Folae urged the council to finds other ways to assist the beneficiaries under social welfare programmes rather than giving them social relief.

He said they could think of venturing into generating income projects, which would create employment opportunities for the beneficiaries hence reducing the burden on council budget. Ends