Africa-Press – Botswana. Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Kgotla Autlwetse has commended the private sector for the significant role it plays in assisting government to touch and change lives of Batswana.
Receiving the 5 700 blankets from the World Group of Companies on Tuesday (June 27), Minister Autlwetse encouraged the leadership of the 31 district councils, as custodians of lives in the localities, to hastily deliver them to deserving beneficiaries.
“Winter is here, therefore, a cushion to the worst affected of our people would certainly be a blessing to all of us. The donation is geared towards the destitution programme as a way of keeping the vulnerable warm during winter,” he said.
He added that distribution of blankets would be guided by destitution statistics from the Department of Social Protection and each council would receive 166 blankets while Sowa Town would receive only five.
Again, he said Boteti, Serowe and Moshupa districts would each receive 171 blankets while Rural Area Dwellers (RADS) hostels at Metsimantsho in Charleshill, one in Malatswai and another in Xakao in dire shortage were to each share from an additional 300 blankets with each getting 100 of them.
“Having upgraded sub-districts to fully-fledged districts as a way of bringing services to the people, let us try to have donations reach the most deserving of beneficiaries,” he said.
For her part, permanent secretary in the ministry, Ms Gabatlotlane Mogapi said the gesture should be a reminder of its core mandate on preserving the lives of the less privileged and to save others.
“One of the things that would unsettle me is to hear that in one hostel, children sleep without mattresses on the beds,” she said.
She also encouraged those tasked with services to the less privileged to keep driving and pushing. Nonetheless, she thanked the World Group of Companies for its efforts.
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