01 Jul 2024

A total of 458 patients have undergone operations under the North East District eye cataract campaign conducted in partnership with Francistown Academic Hospital.

This was revealed during the North East District full council meeting by  council chairperson, Mr Kudzani Tobokwani recently.

Mr Tobokwani said of the 458 patients, 170 were from the North East District and the campaign was currently ongoing at Masunga Primary Hospital.

On other issues, the council chairperson said the district continued to struggle with worrying statistics of cases involving crime against children which included 98 of defilement, 46 rape, eight of children in conflict with the law and 38 of children in need of protection including child neglect, foster care, child trafficking, abuse and abandonment.

However, he said with the District Child Protection Committee functionalised, the plan of action would continue revitalising Village Child Protection Committees through in-house trainings and workshops.

He indicated that Ramokgwebana and Masingwaneng committees had so far been trained in-house.

Furthermore, he said the council had managed to implement socio-economic programmes targeted to improve livelihoods in the district for beneficiaries under the destitute, orphans and needy students categories, who were all assisted with food rations, clothing and school uniform respectively.

He added that the council continued to provide Social Protection and Community Development Services to 3 150 beneficiaries registered on welfare programme since May.

“This includes 1 391 destitute persons, 575 orphans, 942 needy students, 28 Community Home Based clients and 147 children in need of care all receiving support in the form of material or psycho social support,” he said.

In addition, he said the department had confirmed 67 needy students at brigades and technical colleges who were assisted with monthly living allowance of P1 100.

He indicated that numbers for students at vocational institutions and brigades however continued to reduce as the students completed and graduated.

On waste management, he said the district continued to do well and the council had engaged six large scale and 47 small scale contractors to provide waste collection services for 10 and 33 villages respectively.

He also indicated that the newly constructed two dry cells and one wet cell had been completed and they were expected to extend the lifespan of the landfill for an estimated 10 years, on condition that the landfill disposal processes were followed to the letter.

He thus urged all to exercise proper waste management practices to protect the environment, adding that stakeholder engagement remained key in achieving a clean environment for all. ENDS