10 Nov 2021

The envisaged transformed Ipelegeng programme would commence in April 2022.

Answering a parliamentary question on Tuesday, Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Mabuse Pule said  the ministry and other stakeholders were engaged in undertaking some of the activities that needed to precede the full implementation   modified  programme.

He said the focus of the new Ipelegeng programme has changed to include more maintenance and construction projects. He also said the advent of COVID-19 had brought new initiatives such as the cleaning of toilets at schools and other public institutions which absorbed about 28 per cent of the Ipelegeng monthly quota.

As  President Mokgweetsi Masisi noted during the State-of-the-Nation Address on Monday, Mr Pule said Ipelegeng would focus on maintenance of public facilities, especially schools, erection and maintenance of cluster fences, de-bushing of international boundaries, construction of kgotla shelters and implementation of other development projects.

Furthermore, he said the ministry had worked hard to ensure that Ipelegeng workers who were deployed to clean school toilets were provided with protective clothing.

“I wish to acknowledge that at the inception of the initiative in 2020/21 financial year my ministry was faced with procurement challenges and budgetary constraints,” said Mr Pule.

He added that the situation had since improved as local authorities had managed to procure full protective clothing.

 Mr Pule said the ministry could not consider increasing the wages for Ipelegeng workers deployed to clean school toilets because of the current economic situation that the country was facing.

He stated that consideration for increasing the wages for those deployed to clean school toilets could not be effected at the exclusion of others deployed elsewhere.

The MP for Francistown South, Mr Wynter Mmolotsi had asked the assistant minister whether the current Ipelegeng programme was any different from the one before COVID-19 began.

He also asked when the improved Ipelegeng was likely to start and why Ipelegeng workers who were deployed to clean school toilets were not provided with protective clothing given the environment they worked in.

Mr Mmolotsi had further asked the assistant minister if he would consider increasing the wages for Ipelegeng workers deployed to clean school toilets given the amount of work they did. ENDS