25 Oct 2022

Government has launched the refurbished Ipelegeng Programme boasting a skills development component (ISDC).

The objective is to equip Ipelegeng Programme beneficiaries with construction-related, occupational, entrepreneurship and life skills.

Speaking at the combined launch and  graduation ceremony of the first batch of beneficiaries as well as  handing over of projects completed through the initiative,  Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Mr Mabuse Pule said the primary aim was empowerment.He said in addition to the mentioned skills, beneficiaries were trained on productivity, mindset change and smart work ethics while at the same time delivering development projects such as maintenance and construction of public buildings and roads.

“The overall goal is to facilitate their graduation from the programme as well as reducing dependency syndrome,” he said.

Mr Pule explained that public works programmes were social protection instruments used with the dual objectives of providing temporary employment and generating and maintaining some labour intensive infrastructural projects and social services.

 Dating back to the 1960s, the Ipelegeng programme was inspired by the public works approach, he said.

According to Mr Pule,  thousands of public infrastructure and social services were delivered through the programme which had evolved from being a drought relief measure to a permanent scheme.

With the view to improve  the programme’s  efficiency and effectiveness, government decided  to re-engineer it, said the assistant minister.“The transformation focuses on forging synergies between complementary government programmes aimed at employment creation and poverty eradication, refocusing the programme on construction and maintenance of public facilities and all labour-intensive public works across ministries,” he explained.

Mr Pule said as part of the re-engineering process,  his ministry, in collaboration with the then Ministry of Employment, Labour Productivity and Skills Development, developed the ISDC.

For her part, Minister of Labour and Home Affairs Ms Anna Mokgethi said the overall objective was to create short term employment and provide temporary relief to Batswana who had been adversely affected by economic shocks while at the same time delivering development projects.

It was aimed at economic empowerment of individual beneficiaries, local economic development, infrastructure development, environmental conservation and management, crime prevention, mindset change and skills development, she said.

Ms Mokgethi explained that in 2012, government through UNICEF’s assistance, engaged Botswana Institute of Development and Policy Analysis to review the Ipelegeng Programme with the view to assess its relevance, impact, effectiveness and efficiency.

“The review revealed that the programme was ineffective and had low impact due to absence of smart targets, which resulted in low productivity levels,” she said.

 Minister Mokgethi said it was therefore recommended that the programme be re-designed to make it results-based.

 In addition, it was decided that a well-structured capacity building component for arming participants with production and survival skills to enable them to graduate to better paying jobs or be self-employed should be introduced, said the minister.

She said through the Botswana National Productivity Centre, beneficiaries of the revamped programme had been trained in Smartwork Ethics aimed at inculcating a positive mindset as well as a culture of high performance.

Piloted in the South East District, the programme has already been rolled out to other districts.

Three families have been handed shelter while a total of 53 men and women have been certified in the six trades of brick laying and plastering, carpentry, plumbing, electrical, painting and tiling. 

Two were employed for a period of six months as instructors. 

The Construction Industry Trust Fund was charged with providing building and construction training. Ends