Tribal administration among biggest winners � Siele
| Thursday June 26, 2014 14:07
Briefing Ntlo ya Dikgosi during a question and answer session on Monday, Siele said he had lived up to a promise he made last year to ensure that traditional leaders received better funding.
Siele was responding to dikgosi’s queries on whether better funding had been afforded to them in the current budget.
“The budget shows a total increase of P7.2 million and is the third largest allocation in the ministry’s recurrent budget,” he said.
Kgosi Toto of Kgalagadi South region had asked Siele whether he had delivered on a promise made last year in Gaborone to the effect that the Department of Tribal Administration would receive higher funding.
Traditional leaders have perennially complained of inadequate funding from central government, saying this reflects the non-prioritisation of their role in governance.
However, Siele walked out of Ntlo ya Dikgosi to broad smiles and murmurs of approval after he announced that apart from the higher funding, he had decided that dikgosi who attend district council meetings should receive sitting allowances.
Siele said the directive came into effect on June 1, 2014.
“I am fully aware of the situation quoting Section 13 of the Local Government Act, which stipulates that ex-officio members shall not have voting rights or the right to be elected into committees, but have all other rights enjoyed by members of council,” he said.
“I have considered the matter and decided that members of Ntlo ya Dikgosi who reside within the district council headquarters should be paid sitting allowance when attending such meetings.”
Kgosi Kahiko of Gantsi had asked Siele if he was aware that dikgosi were not paid sitting allowances when they attended full council meetings.