15 Jul 2021

A total of 112 have graduated from being destitute persons in the last three financial years of 2018/2019, 2019/2020 and 2020/2021.In response to a parliamentary question on July 14, Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Mabuse Pule said low graduation rate was evident in all districts in the three financial years, adding Jwaneng, Chobe, Kgatleng, Central, Gaborone, Kweneng and Lobatse did not have any graduation during the said period.

“It is worth noting that graduation is used in the context of beneficiaries who were rehabilitated and are able to sustain their livelihoods without government assistance,” he said.

Sustainable livelihoods, he said included self-employment gained from assistance programmes provided by government or non-governmental organisations. He also said low graduation rates were due to the fact that those registered as permanent destitute persons were rendered completely dependent on welfare assistance because of age, physical or mental incapacitation. 

On the other hand, the assistant minister told Parliament that the total number of registered destitute persons stood at 37 934, 39 142 and 39 969 in the 2018/2019, 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 financial years respectively, Mr Pule said the Central District Council accounted for the highest number of registered destitute persons, which stood at 13 485 in 2018/2019, 13 646 in 2019/2020 and 12 994 in 2020/2021.

The Southern District Council, he said accounted for 5 844, 6 187 and 5 549 destitute persons in the 2018/2019, 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 financial years respectively.In the Kweneng District Council, there were 5 399 destitute persons in the 2018/2019, 5 539 in 2019/2020 and 5 846 in 2020/2021.

On temporary destitute persons, Mr Pule said there were those who could be rehabilitated because they would be temporarily incapacitated by natural disasters such as drought, ill health or any other emergency.

He also said a total of 4 086 new cases of destitution was registered for the period and districts that experienced the highest numbers of new registrations were Southern District with 1 131 followed by  Central District at 776 and Kweneng District at 536.

Maun West MP, Mr Dumelang Saleshando, had asked the minister to state the total number of registered destitute persons in the past three financial years nationwide and the three districts that accounted for the highest numbers.

MP Saleshando also wanted to know the total number that graduated out of destitution in the last three financial years and the three districts that had the lowest graduation rate.

Further, he wanted to know of new cases of destitution registered over the same period and the three districts accounting for the highest numbers. Ends