05 Aug 2019

 Kgatleng District Council chairperson says it is critical for their policies, programmes and provisions to be extended to people with disabilities so that they are not deprived of basic necessities. 

Mr Mpho Morolong said this at Morwa recently at the handing over ceremony of a house built by Golden Silence Investments for Ms Collen Montwedi, who is  living with disability.

He said 66 people with disabilities had received housing from the Department of Social and Community Development countrywide in the first quarter of 2019. Mr Morolong noted that the number excluded those who had benefited through other programmes like the housing appeal initiative.

Mr Morolong was speaking on behalf of Minister for Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration.“When one has shelter she derives a sense of accomplishment and hope even in the most difficult situations of their lives,” he said.

Mr Morolong said the country’s social and community development department has been responsible for providing houses to disadvantaged groups and that the cases included people with disabilities.

He noted that Botswana intended to ratify the Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities later this year.

“In our ambitious path to succeed in this commitment, we have already embarked on a number of initiatives to support this desire,” he said.

Mr Morolong further noted that the country was currently developing a national disability framework which comprised of the Revised National Policy on Disability, the National Disability Strategy and drafting of instructions for the disability law.

He said it was hoped that the policy would be discussed during the next Parliament sitting.He said the final draft for both the strategy and the drafting instructions were at completion stage.

“We therefore envisage that with these guiding instruments in place, inclusion of people with disabilities in our service delivery system, including housing will be expedited,” said Mr Morolong.

Concerning the donation, Mr Morolong said the initiative was espoused in the Vision 2036 pillar of human and social development which challenged all to be compassionate and caring.

He said the pillar compelled all to offer support and opportunities to those who were less privileged.

Mr Morolong further noted that government had enacted a law to regulate the donation of houses to the less privileged members of society by donors.

He said the law would help control the way donations were managed, and to protect donations which came in the form of houses or money so that the money could be utilised to build houses for the less privileged as was intended by donors.He said it was considered necessary for government to show accountability, hence the use of the law which has standard procedures.

Mr Morolong said government had consistently made it known that the socio-economic development of the nation would succeed upon active participation by different stakeholders, including the private sector.

He applauded Golden Silence Investments for their voluntary efforts and their continued contribution to the country’s development agenda.

For his part, director of Golden Silence Investments, Mr Mmusi Ramosaka said in the past they had noticed that only foreign companies were giving back to the community, hence their decision to get involved as a local company.

He said they had been involved with projects of giving back, amongst them prize giving ceremonies at various schools as well as a thatched roof project for Rasesa Primary School. He said the house donation was started by Kgatleng Men Sector Committee, but that it later stalled due to budgetary constraints. 

He added that the office of the District Commissioner approached their company and were willing to take over the project to its conclusion.

Ms Montwedi, the benefactor of the house, could not hide her excitement and said she was happy. ENDS