05 Feb 2014

Consultative meetings are held to publicise government programmes, get feedback from the communities, appreciate challenges and propose solutions to project and programme implementation.

The Minister of Local government and Rural Development, Mr Peter Siele told Parliament on Tuesday, February 4 that the last consultative meetings in the Tonota North constituency and other villages in Tutume Sub-district were held on December 18, 2013. 

Mr Siele said places covered were Jamataka, Matsitama and Semitwe and the issues covered included; Ipelegeng, poverty eradication, and disaster (veld fires).

The criteria used for selection of villages, Mr Siele said, were that consultative meetings were scheduled on the basis of the challenges and concerns that were raised and debated during quarterly progress meetings.

Priority, he added, was also given to Remote Area Development Settlements. Tonota held the last consultative meeting at Natale on December 16, 2013, he added.

“I therefore appreciate efforts made to address meetings in the sub-districts, given the vastness of the sub-districts, activities of other ministries that have to be facilitated by the leadership and other official engagements,” he added.

MP for Tonota North, Mr Fidelis Molao had asked the minister to state when last senior staff at district level, that is, the deputy district commissioner and the senior council secretary, held consultative meetings in the Tonota North constituency.

Mr Molao also wanted to know the criteria used to select the places to address such meetings and how many meetings they were expected to address in a year and whether he was aware that such officers hardly addressed consultative meetings with respective communities except when accompanying cabinet ministers. ENDS