10 Oct 2024

Selebi Phikwe Town Council (SPTC) is exploring various avenues to transform the town into a knowledge-based economy.

Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Mpho Morapedi, said this during the graduation ceremony for  first cohort of the Ipelegeng Skills Development Component (ISDC),  on Wednesday.

Mr Morapedi said  the ISDC programme had made substantial contributions to fostering a knowledge-based economy. He lauded the graduates for their dedication and encouraged them to utilise the skills acquired through the programme to improve their lives.

Mr Morapedi encouraged graduates to form companies and seek professional guidance to support their career growth. He also extended  appreciation to the Construction Industry Trust Fund (CITF) for their partnership in providing foundational skills to participants, emphasising that the programme was set to enhance the quality of life and infrastructure under the Ipelegeng initiative.

Town clerk Mr Lawrence Mokotedi noted that among the 15 graduates, majority were women. He explained that ‘this cohort underwent intensive training in various construction skills and received certificates through a collaboration with the CITF.’

“The programme aims to equip participants with essential trades, including bricklaying, plastering, tiling, carpentry, electrical installation, and plumbing,” Mr Mokotedi said. He emphasised that the reformed Ipelegeng programme employs a new skills development model that intergrates training with practical production.

This transformation, he said would only be realised through a change in approach and stressed the necessity for a mindset shift, urging participants to ‘stop, assess, introspect, and start afresh.’

The ISDC is a government initiative designed to implement skills development for construction and maintenance projects, including roads and buildings. Mr Mokotedi highlighted the goal of empowering beneficiaries to reduce dependency, noting that since the financial year 2020/2021, over P1.8 million has been invested in six projects within Selebi-Phikwe.

Notable projects include the construction of six carports and the maintenance of Boitshoko Primary School, as well as the paving of an internal road linking Mosebodi Road with Boitumelo Primary School.

The concerted effort by the Selebi-Phikwe Town Council and its partners marked a pivotal step towards enhancing local skills, promoting economic growth, and fostering community development.

Mr Mokotedi further explained that in 2023/2024 financial year paving using interlocking bricks, the internal road linking Mosebodi road with Boitumelo Primary School in Botshabelo was successfully completed.

The completion of this project, he said was done under the ISDC programme, adding that the project addressed water flooding issue and the poor network that linked the main road and the school.

Furthermore, he said the Ipelegeng programme had brought significant enhancement including the re-establishment of sustenance feeding for beneficiaries.

The graduates’ representative Mr Oagile Onkarabile thanked the government for giving Ipelegeng participants an opportunity to gain basic training in the construction field promising to use the skills acquired to improve their livelihoods.

In addition to the certificates, the graduates were each given building tools as a gift to empower them. ENDS