24 Aug 2022

Tonota Sub-district is currently supporting 31 pupils living with disabilities in Borolong and Shashemooke.

Council chairperson, Mr Chrisjan Machokoto told a council meeting that the pupils were transported from their homes to Francistown on a daily basis.   

In addition, he explained that two pupils living with disabilities had been offered courses at Marobela Brigade for a 12-month period, starting this month.  

“This is a positive milestone for this vulnerable group as it will contribute towards their rehabilitation,” he added.  

 With regards to needy students at brigades, Mr Machokoto said the sub-district was supporting 83 of them by providing living allowances,  P1 100 each.

“We have observed that there are some students who abscond from school and ultimately quit, but continue to receive the living allowance since it is debited through post offices,” he added.

Mr Machokoto said to curb the problem, the Department of Social and Community Development had  designed a tracking tool, where authorities of the institutions submit confirmation forms of existence of the needy students in their institutions before the living allowance was disbursed.    

The process, he said, at times led to delays in disbursement of allowance, particularly when the forms for verification of existence were submitted late to council.

To date, 67 students out of 83 were paid their living allowance amounting to P171 331 pending confirmation of the 16 remaining students.  

Regarding Mr and Miss RADP, Mr Machokoto said the sub-district was currently preparing for the pageant, noting that the event would be held on August 30, in Tonota.

He said mobilisation and selection at Mabesekwa and Gojwane had been completed.  

Due to budgetary constraints, he said the council was unable to adequately accord the contestants all the needs such as wardrobe.

“We have appealed to members of the business community to assist by pledging and donating, but we have not yet received any donations,” he added.

Regarding the Ipelegeng Skills Development programme, Mr Machokoto explained that the new programme was geared towards empowering beneficiaries and equipping them with the technical skills that could improve their livelihoods.

The programme, he said, involved the Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs, through the Botswana National Productivity Centre, the Ministry of Education and Skills Development through the Construction Industries Trust Fund (CITF) and the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, which had been tasked to facilitate the selection of beneficiaries and overall implementation and monitoring of the programme.

He explained that the implementation of the programme was with immediate effect and projects were already submitted for approval.

He said the trainees shall be given allowance equivalent to the monthly wages of the Ipelegeng labourers.  

Project funds shall be geared towards payment of trainers and procurement of Personal Protective Equipment for beneficiaries.

“The training duration at sites shall not be limited to the current working hours of Ipelegeng programme, but shall be determined by the trainers considering the workload during training,” he added.

He explained that the training period would not be less than three months to afford the trainees ample time to learn.

“In a nutshell, the Ipelegeng Skills Development component does not have any specific budget, hence beneficiaries shall be attached to existing approved government projects like the Destitute Housing Projects and the Constituency Community Projects, among others.,” he added.

Mr Machokoto also registered a concern about the increasing number of roaming livestock in the Tonota sub-district villages

He explained that the situation was aggravated by some farmers who kept their livestock in their backyards or within the village.

“This is in contravention of the Central District Council Livestock Control Bye Laws of 1970 as read with amendments of 2006 and 2016,” he said.

 The council chairperson further noted that the animals posed risk as some of them caused road accidents.

“I also appeal to you councillors to assist in appealing to your electorate to remove animals from the village.

He also briefed councillors on the primary school feeding programme and noted that the sub-district council had received P6 million from the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development for procurement of food commodities such as samp, sorghum, beans, breakfast, fruits and vegetables during the month of May.

To date, commodities procured include sorghum at a tender value of P261 000 awarded to Alpha Feeds and Mane Blocks Holdings that supplied 900 bags of sorghum.

He said samp had also been awarded to both Alpha Feeds and Mane Blocks at a tender value of P280 000  with beans having been awarded to Botswana Agricultural Marketing Board at a tender value of P650 000. ENDS