Poverty Eradication Beneficiaries Face Imprisonment
Lebogang Baingapi | Monday March 20, 2017 17:13
The warning was issued by the Principal Home Economics officer at Mabutsane Sub-Council, Moshe Noga during a two-day workshop last week in Jwaneng.
He said Government has taken a decision to repossess abandoned poverty eradication projects and allocate them to new beneficiaries. Noga further said the Government would keep monitoring projects and repossess non-performing and abandoned projects as per the contract.
He said the new guidelines give the beneficiary the liberty to duly hand over projects if they are no longer interested in running them, or they feel they (businesses) are not doing well. “The Government is at liberty to sue you for giving false information to benefit from the programme and you can also be brought to book for neglecting the business after funding,” he explained. Poverty eradication programmes fund beneficiaries at P15,000 per person, and Mabutsane Sub-Council has launched 113 projects so far.
Noga called on the beneficiaries to take responsibility of the Government funds and work hard to eradicate poverty. He cautioned against abandoning projects to enrol on Ipelegeng relief programme, adding that the move ultimately kills Government’s effort to eradicate abject poverty.
“We selected and called you as business people, not destitute and you should be reminded that the projects remain Government’s property for the next five years and you are at liberty to return it back to the government for any reason that you may advance at any given time,” he said.
He made a stiff warning that beneficiaries are not allowed to rent out projects equipment unless it is part of sustaining the business. Noga also warned them to refrain from relocating the project without prior notice to the council.
He highlighted that after allocation of all equipments, the projects is expected to start within the first six months, failing which, it will be repossessed and allocated to another beneficiary on the waiting list. Still at the workshop, another facilitator, senior adult education officer Keorapetse Kgosimoruti advised on proper records keeping and financial statements. He urged the beneficiaries to limit giving credit to customers, which can affect the business‘s financial status.
Beneficiaries also pleaded with the council management to hasten the process of dispensing all equipments and to emphasise on quality when procuring equipment for them.