Analysts rail against Ipelegeng

Brian Benza
Staff Writer | Thursday March 18, 2010 00:00

 

Speaking at the 2010/11 national budget analysis by policy makers meeting in Gaborone yesterday, Dr Keitseope Nthomang of the University of Botswana lumped Ipelegeng with the so-called National Constituency League and the special nomination of councillors and Members of Parliament as a burden on the nation that needed to be reviewed.

'A clear and comprehensive job creation strategy needs to be put in place that has clear annual employment targets,' Nthomang said. 'In our national consultations, we visited poor people and held meetings in places like Francistown, Ghantsi, Maun, Selebi-Phikwe.

'Ipelegeng is being rejected by the marginalised people who are the very same people this programme is supposed to benefit. Ipelegeng is not even recognised as employment. Not even by ILO (International Labour Organisation) standards.'

Presenting the national budget for 2010/11, the Minister of Finance Minster and Dvelepment Planning, Kenneth Matambo, said the government would spend P1.4 billion on the programme at an annual expenditure of P200 million during NDP 10.

Since its inception in July 2008, the estimated monthly employment created through Ipelegeng has averaged 38,000 for the entire country. Since April 2009, the programme has cumulatively employed 234 462 people, made up of 172 686 females and 61 776 males.

 The meeting, which was attended by MPs, captains of industry and trade unions and other NGOs, was themed Budgeting for Social Justice: Towards the Realisation of Vision 2016 and MDGs.

BOCONGO said another criticism it received as feedback on the budget was its lack of consultation, the increase of VAT and the gradual shifting of the focus of the budget from the needs of the poor. The Secretary General of the Botswana Federation of Trade Union, Gadzani Mhotsha, also lambasted the government for failure to consult before drawing up the national budget.

'The government thinks they know everything and therefore do everything without consultation,' Mhotsha said. 'But when you look at the services and products they come up with, they actually leave a lot to be desired.'

The trade unionist supported the other speakers in their stance against Ipelegeng, saying he could not understand why the government was impoverishing people by moving them from the P800 per month destitute food basket to a P400 per month programme.  After speaker after speaker railed against Ipelegeng and the drifting of the budget's focus from the poor, the MP for Tonota South Pono Moatlhodi defended Ipelegeng, saying the programme had proved to be a vital safety net, especially for people in the rural areas.

'I am not sure which parts of the country you got your views from, but in my constituency, Ipelegeng has done very well and the people like it,' Moatlhodi said.

'On the issue of poverty reduction and the development of the poor, I believe the government has done an excellent job. Compare Botswana's rural provision of water and electricity to that of countries such as Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe. We are miles ahead.'