Summit 2018: Tonota Sub District Council

Tonota is a village located in the Central District of Botswana. The people in Tonota are said to be Bakhurutshe who fought against some other tribes they found there and after winning the war, they owned the land and they became ‘Ba bina khama le phofu’. The name Tonota is said to be spelled THONOTHA (pronounced DONOTHA) in natural Sekhurutshe but was changed to Tonota due to the influence of the Tswana Languages. The village is located 27 kilometers south of the City of Francistown along the A1 (Francistown-Gaborone) road. It lies along the Southwest bank of Shashe River, which happens to the border between the Central and North East Districts, so Tonota is considered to be in the Central District. Tonota is a large territory divided into small segments, namely: Tonota Village in the South, Semotswane, Mandunyane, and Shashe Bridge to the north. The chief of the Tonota village is Kgosi Ramosinyi Radipitse. It was promoted to sub-district from under Tutume in 2003

Tonota Sub District Council has a gender structure which is the committee that consist of members of staff and the community. There is the gender focal person who is responsible for driving all gender related issues. The council does not have gender policy but it drafted, which will be published prior end of this year. Presently, there are 14 male councillors and 2 female councilors. The council has at least 14 committees, 2 of which are chaired by women. There is equal participation of men, women. Youth and people living with disability at public meetings or events.

The total workforce of the company is 115 women and 214 men to make the 328 in total. Women also partake in different areas of work such as architect, town planner, electrical engineering and structural engineering. The council did not pay particular attention to gender imbalances in the workplace. There is provisions for maternity leave for 3 months and it is paid leave,The council does not have a sexual harassment policy. The sexual harassment policies are dealt with by following the 1999 Act and the Public Service Act.

The council provides entrepreneurship finance through the following programmes, Economic empowerment, Poverty eradication and community projects. For the financial year 2017/18, 32 men and 376 females were funded through poverty eradication programme. 12 economic empowerment projects were funded through economic empowerment.

The environmental health department has developed an adopt a recycler initiative where it is currently involved in a waste sampling for use by recyclers. Beneficiaries from this initiative are currently primamry school students and 2 female members of the community. The council is working in conjuction with the District Aids coordination office in the distribution of condoms within the council premises. The wellness committee the council often invites health practioners to give talks on reporoductive health during Wednesday meetings.

Tonota Sub District Council gender budget for the 2017 to 2018

In relation to local economic development, the council provided 22 market stalls designed and are all allocated at equal opportunity   to all approved categories. An average number of 126 men and 228 women benefited from employment created by the council.

Women, men, PWD and youth are involved in the planning management and maintenance of water and sanitation. The number of women and men of water and sanitation committee is not included.

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