MINISTER HOLDS PUBLIC GATHERING ON SUMMER CROPPING

The Minister of Local Government, Dr Ponts'o Sekatle held a public gathering on the Subsidised Summer Cropping Programme at Thaba-Chitja Ha T'sepiso in the Tsoelike Constituency on Friday 04 October, 2002 Speaking at the public gathering, she appealed to the farmers to start registering their fields to their Agricultural committees and Extension Officers of the Department of Agriculture in their areas, so that the programme could start working.

The Minister showed that if they could start by now, it would make it possible for all the fields to be planted, which is the policy of the government. Dr Sekatle further warned the community of the mistakes that are being witnessed in the distribution of the Relief Food Aid, which she said should be reported to the committees and offices of the District Secretary and the Disaster Management Authority (DMA).

When talking about the Local Government, she said Local Government elections will be held next year, which will take the responsibilities of the current Community Councils, whose work are concerned with among other things, the allocation of land and HIV/AIDS. She said the main purpose of these elections is to fulfill the government's policy of extending democracy in the country. The public gathering was held after the tree planting at the Liqalabeng Mountain.

04 October,2002