06 Nov 2013

The Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Ms Botlogile Tshireletso is pleased with implementation of the affirmative action frame work in rural areas.

In  an interview after the State-of-the-Nation Address on November 4, Ms Tshireletso explained that major milestones had  been achieved in developing the livelihoods in rural areas through the affirmative action frame work.

She said it was pleasing to note that affirmative action remained viable to development for remote area communities since they still faced social-economic hindrances which largely emanated from their geographic location and proximity to social amenities hence its inclusion in the President's address.

Also pleasing to note, she said, was  government’s  commitment to resuscitation of  a number of community based projects such as those that enabled residents to harness their natural resources to generate income and put food on the table.

Ms Tshireletso highlighted the resuscitation of community based projects such as Zutshwa project, Mogobane irrigation scheme and the possibility of setting up of a small stock abattoir in the Kgalagadi region were all a step in the right direction towards promoting social inclusion and empowerment of people residing in remote areas.

Affirmative action framework, she said had facilitated and mobilised all the stakeholders in planning for programmes geared towards improving the living conditions of residents of all the 67 settlements across the country.

She said that positive impact had been realised in the education sector where the enrolment to tertiary education has increased in settlements.   She highlighted that government continued to sponsor RADs children to various reputable tertiary institutions with the aim to empower them with skills that can enhance their capabilities hence contributing to the human capital development of the country.

Ms Tshireletso also highlighted an increase in the employment opportunities accessed by RADs youth through different programmes such as those administered by various government departments and NGO’s . The assistant minister also applauded the youth empowerment programme for the role it plays in assisting the young RADs communities.

She said the youth were a vibrant group of the society and they possessed a lot of creativity that needed to be taped in order to break the poverty cycle in settlements. She further remained hopeful that the introduction of the Miss Affirmative action will unearth talent and promote inclusiveness among young women in rural areas while at the same time encouraging behavior change and building self-esteem among settlements dwellers. ENDS