27 Jun 2024

Mabutsane District leadership has been implored to develop strategies that will enhance creation of sustainable jobs and reduce poverty among the communities.

Addressing  Mabutsane District full council meeting on Tuesday, chairperson, Mr Kgopolo Setammere-Ramosesane encouraged them to ensure that programmes that would be implemented in the new financial years should focus on addressing the high poverty levels and unemployment rate in the district.

“The challenges are multi-faceted and the most prominent ones are high poverty levels and unemployment,” he said.

He noted that the Quarterly Multi Topic Survey conducted in 2021 showed that unemployment rate in Ngwaketse West, which Mabutsane district was part of, stood at 26.1 per cent with 24.7 per cent being youth.

He also said the Botswana Multi-Topic Household Survey of 2015 placed the district top on the poverty list at 40 per cent.

Subsequently, he said such statistics called for effective implementation of projects and programmes, with the main aim to address major challenges.

Additionally, he said they envisioned that the Social Protection Services budget to be depleted by August, owing to the continuous increase of eligible beneficiaries.

“To date, beneficiaries assisted are 2 805, which is 10 per cent of the population in the district.

The numbers of beneficiaries continue to increase as compared to the last quarter which was 2 745.

We anticipate over expenditure under this vote during the current financial year.

The projections show that the budget will be depleted by August this year,” he said.

On destitute and RADP housing projects, he noted that four out of 10 destitute houses planned for the last financial year were complete, while six were currently at an average of 75 per cent progress.

He said 10 of the 14 RADP housing units were also complete, leaving four ongoing and at an average of 70 per cent physical status.

He said the project memorandum for the 2024/2025 financial year projects had been approved and awaiting release of funds from the ministry.

However, he noted that due to budgetary constraints, the council would construct only two destitute and three RADP housing units during the current financial year.

Furthermore, he told the council meeting that a budget of P21 063 074 had been allocated for the 2024/2025 Ipelegeng programme, which he said would cater for ISDC project, nine maintenance projects and 74 projects of semi-skilled labour.

He assured councillors that modification projects undertaken through the new Ipelegeng Skills Development component were progressing well across the district.

“The new Ipelegeng Skills Development component projects in Mabutsane, Keng and Kokong villages, being modification of stage IV houses to semi-detached LA1s are progressing satisfactorily, roofing and construction of septic tanks has also commenced,” he said. ENDS