19 Oct 2022

The Ipelegeng skills development component will be launched in Mogobane and Otse next Tuesday. 

Constituency community projects national coordinator, Mr Mmolotsi Mokotedi said in an interview on the sidelines of a preparatory meeting this week that the overarching aim of the project was to help beneficiaries graduate from poverty by assisting them to secure better employment opportunities or/and to employ others. 

To that end the project provided Ipelegeng workers engaged in various projects with occupational, entrepreneurship and life skills. Mr Mokotedi said government had sanctioned the South East District Council (SEDC) to start the pilot project for construction skills development. 

“As we implemented a construction and maintenance related project we wanted to utilise the opportunity to skill beneficiaries. When they finish they should be certified on those skills. They should also be capacitated as beneficiaries,” he said. 

Government had directed for reengineering of the Ipelegeng programme so that it could complement other employment creation and poverty eradication programmes, said Mr Mokotedi. 

He said about 18 beneficiaries were trained in six trades of bricklaying, plastering, plumbing, electrical, painting, tiling and carpentry. 

He said they had started programme rollout to the rest of the country and commended those local authorities that were already implementing it after identifying suitable projects. 

For her part, South East District commissioner, Ms Sebokwane Dikgope applauded government for the new programme, saying it would resuscitate the spirit of self-reliance and promote local empowerment. 

She said the revised programme was designed to serve as a poverty alleviation instrument to replace previous drought relief programmes. 

She applauded the district for completing the three pilot projects on time. Ms Dikgope also commended government for equipping Batswana with vocational skills, saying it had the potential to create jobs and end dependence on handouts. 

Briefing the meeting on the projects, SEDC‘s chief architectural and building services officer, Mr Khumo James said the first batch of beneficiaries would as part of their graduation and hand over their completed projects, namely two houses in Mogobane and Otse. 

The Construction Industry Trust Fund (CITF) was charged with training the beneficiaries. Botswana National Productivity Centre also lectured beneficiaries on mindset change and smart work ethics. ends