Dineo gobbled P11 million from gov’t

  • Disaster fund currently has P13 million
  • 3 250 people affected –Red Cross
  • 500 homes destroyed-Red cross

TSAONE SEGAETSHO

The Botswana government was forced to dig deep from its coffers to spend P11 383 916.00
on victims of the recent floods caused by tropical cyclone Dineo.
This was revealed last week by Minister for Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration Eric Molale in parliament. Answering a question from Nata-Gweta MP Polson Majaga on how much was spent on the February floods and his ministry’s preparedness on disaster management, Molale said it was P11 383 916.00.
“The budget allocation Madam Speaker for Disaster Management on an annual basis is P5 million. As at the beginning of this financial year which is ending tomorrow, the National Disaster Relief Fund had P13 366 000.00, being cumulative subventions,” he said.
He explained that the annual P5 million subvention caters for proactive and responsive interventions. The interventions, he said, include risk and vulnerability assessment and hazard mapping, capacity building for District Disaster Management Committees, simulation exercises, public awareness campaigns and the development of such contingency plans. Molale added that these were augmented by sector specific interventions and with the help of development partners such as the United Nations System, the Local Bankers Association of Botswana to name a few.
Molale was also asked what his ministry was doing to assist the people of Gweta and Tsokatshaa who were hard hit by the flooding. He said there was ongoing mitigation in the area and that his assistant minister visited last week and returned satisfied notwithstanding a few issues.
A recent International Federation of Red Cross Emergency Plan of Action shows that 3 250 people were affected by the cyclone, with 500 houses destroyed while 300 people were displaced.