23 Mar 2014

Assistant Minister of Presidential Affairs and Public Administration, Mr Gaotlhaetse Matlhabaphiri has called on all stakeholders to play their role in the realisation of poverty eradication.

Addressing a kgotla meeting at Satellite and Minestone in Francistown on March 20, Mr Matlhabaphiri said government’s commitment of ensuring that by the year 2016 abject poverty was eradicated could only be achieved through all stakeholders’ participation.

He noted government allocated P2 million to each of the 57 constituencies every financial year, but if beneficiaries were not committed then all efforts by government would be in vain.

“There are some instances where beneficiaries fail to take good care of their project as they feel they are government owned but they forget that the funds used for such projects are the tax payer’s money,” he said.

The assistant minister said though in some cases there were some delays in the implementation process of the programme, in some areas there were proper networking by all stakeholders towards the programme.

He noted that the programme also funds group projects hence groups such as home based care committees, church groups and even groups or clubs in school could be assisted.

“For instance agriculture students could be assist to set up poultry or even in gardening,” he said. Mr Matlhabaphiri expressed disappointment about some media that write false reports about the programme despite government’s efforts of being transparent.

He cited that after being transparent at the just ended Jamataka poverty eradication workshop, some journalists decided to write their own contradicting opinions.

On other issues Mr Matlhabaphiri implored all People With Disability (PWD) to ensure they are assessed by the health personnel, registered and given a registration card.

He said having a registration card would assist them access some services citing that Mr Seabelo Tlhaselo of Seabelo Express has offered that all PWD would travel in his buses free of charge. On HIV/AIDS, he said government has decided that all male boys would undergo circumcision at birth.

One of the residents in Satellite, Ms Theresa Mmolowa said she was against infant male circumcision as it was a violation of the child’s rights. She condemned Ipelegeng saying the beneficiaries did not get any skills from it as they only cut grass.

In Minestone, the WDC chairperson, Ms Pinkie Malesu decried that since most of the residents in the ward are tenants they did not benefit from the poverty eradication programme.

She however, thanked government for the few that were funded under the programme.

District Health Management Team (DHTM) coordinator, Dr Retta Ayele said parents when bringing up their children have responsibility to ensure their health was not compromised and that it was the mandate of the Ministry of Health to ensure a healthy nation therefore infant male circumcision was part of those responsibilities.

Dr Ayele said the child’s rights should not compromise the health of a child. In his response, Mr Matlhabaphiri explained that Ipelegeng workers were not only engaged in cutting grass but some of them renovate schools and construct guard houses therefore they acquire bricklaying, plastering and painting skills amongst others.

Councillor for Satellite South, Mr Buti Billy said people should not only focus on how government was failing but should also look on their own failures and come up with suggestion on how the programme could be improved.Mr Matlhabaphiri also toured the projects that were funded under the poverty eradication programme. ENDS