04 Jun 2023

Vice President Slumber Tsogwane says he has established an 11-member task team to review the mandate and membership of the Rural Development Council (RDC).

Mr Tsogwane told the 162nd RDC meeting in Gaborone on Thursday that the review was necessitated by the need to align the mandate and membership of the RDC with current realities and the government’s new direction.

He stated that the task team was chaired by acting CEO of Botswana Institute of Development Policy Analysis (BIDPA), Dr Gloria Somolekae, and is expected to submit its report at the end of August.

Mr Tsogwane said the results of the review exercise would enlighten government on the relevance of the RDC, given the changing nature of rural development in Botswana.

He added that the task team would suggest which aspects of the RDC mandate and composition need to be changed.

Mr Tsogwane said the exercise came at an appropriate time as the Revised National Policy for Rural Development of 2002 was also under review.

He said the outcome of the RDC review would therefore be incorporated into the drafting of the revised policy. ENDS