14 Jul 2021

 The Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development is set to come up with regulations as provided for by Section 28 (a) of Bogosi Act Cap 41; 01 that will improve conditions of service for dikgosi.

Assistant Minister Kgotla Autlwetse told Parliament on Tuesday that it was anticipated that conditions of service would be completed and implemented in the current financial year.

He was responding to a question from Maun East MP, Mr Goretetse Kekgonegile.

On the working space, Mr Autlwetse said the ministry had constituted a task team to review the building designs of types one and two customary courts and work had already started. 

The exercise, he said, was expected to take into account office space, health and safety standards, adding that designs would also evolve when there was need to extend. The exercise would be completed in September. 

On implementation of ‘one village one car’ initiative to curtail shortage of transport, establishment of a department with a fully-fledged structure to do away with situations where secretaries performed accounting duties, Mr Autlwetse said the initiative was operational.

He indicated that in the year 2016/2017, the ministry procured 19 vehicles under the initiative, 15 in 2017/2018 and a further 17 in 2019/2020, making a total of 51 vehicles allocated to various customary courts.  

“We have engaged a consultant through UNDP assistance to do capacity assessment for the ministry, including the Department of Tribal Administration,” he stated. 

The assessment, he said, would among others, review the structure and staffing norms of the tribal administration department. 

He said the project started in June this year and was expected to be completed in March next year.

Furthermore, he said the roles of dikgosi were outlined under Section 17 of Bogosi Act Cap 41; 01 hence suggestion for upgrading could be considered during the review of the act, which would also be guided by the outcome of the review of the Constitution. 

He added that setting of thresholds for warrants of dikgotla was provided for under Sections 12 and 13 of the Customary Courts Act. 

Therefore, he said it was the ministry’s desire to construct and provide adequate accommodation for customary court staff where there was shortage of accommodation. 

However, he said the ministry had over the years experienced budgetary challenges to provide a full suite of customary court offices and associated residential accommodation for tribal administration staff. 

Currently, he said there were 787 officers earning Remote Area Settlement Allowance (RADA) allowance in various villages across the country. 

He also told Parliament that progression of tribal administration staff was guided by the Competency Based Career Path which was implemented in March 2019, an exercise he said allowed for secretaries to progress to the position of tribal administrator provided they had the requisite skills or qualifications. 

He further said the ministry acknowledged that some tribal administration staff had overstayed in various districts and as such, transfers were currently ongoing.

MP Kekgonegile had wanted the minister to brief Parliament on some initiatives to improve the functioning of the Department of Tribal Administration, particularly, working conditions of dikgosi including working space.

 He also sought to know about upgrading roles of dikgosi and warrants in most dikgotla as well as improving the working conditions of secretaries in terms of staff housing, indecent housing allowances, lack of progression, overstay and none pay of RASA.

He aslo asked about timelines of such initiatives and possible regions for implementation.  Ends