09 Mar 2022

The findings from the recent assessment of the Poverty Eradication programme will provide an understanding on the type and extent of the impact of COVID-19, thereby informing appropriate interventions. 

Answering a question on Tuesday, presidential affairs, governance and public administration assistant minister, Mr Dumezweni Mthimkhulu told Parliament that  the assessment had been concluded. 

Parliament also heard that since April 2020, a total of 10 houses were built and handed over to needy families from the Presidential Housing Appeal and 902 people were assisted under the Poverty Eradication Programme. 

The assistant minister attributed the low uptake of the programmes, especially the Poverty Eradication, to the fact that it hinged upon critical steps that required intense human interaction, being mobilisation, assessments, training and packaging. 

“Movement restrictions as well as social distancing requirements during the period of COVID-19 meant all these activities could not meaningfully be undertaken. I am not aware of any scheme or programme being suspended, if anything, implementation would have slowed down because of the reasons advanced above. None of the two schemes or programmes have been upgraded therefore they continue to run as they have always did,” Mr Mthimkhulu said. 

Mr Leepetswe Lesedi, Serowe South MP had asked the minister to state the number of people who had, since April 2020, benefitted from the Presidential Housing Appeal and Poverty Eradication Programme. 

Mr Lesedi also wanted to know if any of the two had been suspended or upgraded and rolled out to cushion the poor and unemployed against the impact of COVID-19. Ends