Summit 2018: Selebi Phikwe Town Council

Selebi-Phikwe (also spelt Selibe Phikwe) is a mining town located in the Central District of Botswana. It had a population of 52,000. The town is an administrative district, separate from the surrounding Central District

The Selibe Phikwe Town Council has reached parity in the representation of men and women within the council. Women make up 52% of the council bench, 50% of the staff management and 52.4% of the overall staff. The gender champion is Tladi Pilane, who is also the Chief of the town’s fire department and the gender focal person is Lame Osupile.

The council has a gender policy and action plan that incorporates the Post 2015 SADC Gender Protocol, SDGs and other relevant targets. The policy is mainstreamed into the council’s activities. Selibe Phikwe Town Council has 7 committees. Three of which are chaired by women and the rest by men. The Gender committee reports to council management monthly at COMT.

The council has 15% procurement preference for women, youth and PWDs over other bidders. The council has surpassed the affirmative action quota and since the closure of the mine, has seen a rise in the submission of tenders by youth. The result of this has been that many tenders are awarded to the said vulnerable groups and disadvantaging the rest of the population. To strike a balance, the council has resolved to exclude vulnerable populations from some tenders. It has assisted 318 destitute persons (218 women and 100 men) and 435 students (224 women and 211 men) with safety nets. The council has also assisted 287 students under cost sharing and offers psycho social support to community members who seek it.

The council has 121 market stalls that are allocated to members of the community through a Yes or No toss method. 37 women currently occupy the stalls and 12 men .The council provides entrepreneurship financing through poverty eradication programs like Ipelegeng, which in February 2018 employed 1172 women and 334 men. Ipelegeng has funded the building and maintenance of 10 primary schools and funds spent thus far in Ipelegeng are the sum of P 9 871 367.00. The council held an expo for individuals within the community who deal with waste artifacts.

Selebi Phikwe Town Council gender budget for the 2017 to 2018.

The council provides infrastructure and housing assistance to community members through programs like SHAA .Under SHAA the council holds 4015 certificates of rights to plots. The council has allocated 6413 residential plots under SHAA program. It has also carried out 30 destitute housing projects in the last 3 years.

Issues relating to sexual reproductive health are the mandate of Selebi Phikwe Hospital through the Education, Health and Social Services Committee. All the hospitals and clinics in Selibe Phikwe have ramps to cater for wheelchair bound patients and the town has youth clinics, which offer services to youth. In 2016, the council commenced a street naming exercise after consultations with communities. It has also installed streetlights throughout Selibe Phikwe, which are working except for those that have been vandalized.

One of the main challenges faced by the gender committee within the council is the lacking gender specific budget for activities. There is also no proper handing over by outgoing committee to new gender committee. The gender committee also receives very little support from other departments in efforts. External factors such as the closure of the BCL mine, unemployment and poverty as well as lacking support from stakeholders have also been a added struggle in the council’s pursuit of promoting and exercising the gender agenda. The coucil is undertaking the sunrise campaign

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