Africa-Press – Botswana. The aftermath of COVID-19 is still being felt as Moshupa District continues to register a high number of destitute persons.
Moshupa Council chairperson Mr Sonny Phiri told a full council meeting recently that levels of destitution in the district had risen sharply prior to the pandemic and the impact of COVID-19 had intensified the difficulties many people faced in accessing the help they needed to meet the fundamental needs.
He noted that a total of 2 158 registered destitute persons (1 827 permanent and 292 temporary destitute persons) were currently being supported and that a number of vulnerable persons totaled 2 417.
Mr Phiri said a high number of registration and low to no graduation from safety nets had led to over-expenditure over years as there was zero growth and or budget cuts to meet the ceiling.
He revealed that the budget for relief of destitute for the current financial year stood at P8 309 640, a slight increase of P1 503 870 as compared to the last financial year budget which was P6 805 770.
However, he said the budget was not enough to cater for provision of services to beneficiaries for the whole financial year and therefore an over expenditure was anticipated.
Mr Phiri further urged the councillors to engage with their electorates to raise awareness on the importance of becoming self-reliant so that they could graduate from the destitution programme.
Meanwhile Mr Phiri also decried the rise of reported cases of violence against children saying the district was currently handling 164 cases, 51 defilement, 32 rape, 13 child neglect and 39 cases of children in conflict with the law.
“This denotes that a collaborative stakeholder effort was required to protect children in our communities,” he said.
He called for advocacy efforts that included engagement of communities, traditional and religious leaders, including women, to restrict negative attitudes, harmful cultural practices and traditions that perpetuated sexual exploitation and abuse against children as well as provide psychosocial support to abuse victims.
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