The Minister of Forestry and Land Reclamation has called for cooperation of all sectors in
implementation of land reclamation projects intended for poverty alleviation.

Mr. Ralechate ‘Mokose was addressing Members of Parliament, Community Councilors and Mohale’s Hoek staff of his ministry in a meeting held at the District Administrator’s hall on Tuesday. The aim was to explain guidelines and procedures for recruitment of workers at land reclamation projects to be undertaken in all constituencies.

He said there is need for all to work together, through transparency and without discrimination for the success of the projects, which he said are meant to rehabilitate degraded land while at the same time alleviating poverty and improving people’s lives through job creation.

The meeting followed misunderstanding among the concerned parties regarding recruitment procedures that let to complaints such as, in one constituency, the recruitment was done without public officers while in another, it had to be postponed.

The procedure, according to the Minister, is that the recruitment should be done in the presence of the District Administrator, Member of Parliament, Community Councilor, the Chief, staff of the Ministry of Forestry and Land Reclamation and the public.

Activities at the projects include tree planting, fire belt construction, dam construction, range improvement, construction of stone lines and donga reclamation.

The Ministry of Forestry and Land Reclamation has been allocated M87 Million to implement the projects and 133 workers will work on a monthly shift in each constituency earning M42.30 per day.

SOURCE: LENA 24/07/2007