Summit 2020-Sanqebethu Council COE

Sanqebethu council is located in Malefiloane village in the Mokhotlong district. Locked within Drakensburg range, hub of mining mineral sources, and river sources, high altitude population is comprised mainly of farmers.

The council has gender action plan that they are following through and still in place as to make sure that gender is mainstreamed through its work. The council has 15 councillors of which 8 are men and 7 are women. The council is chaired by a man and the deputy mayor is also a man. Within the 3 committees that council has, one is chaired by a woman which is in social services.

Women, PWD and youth actively participate in council work for they attend public meeting to raise their opinions on a certain issue. There are 9 employees the council has and 5 are men and 4 are women. The council has 2 men in management no women in management. There is a provision of 3 months maternity leave and less than 1 month paternity leave and they are both paid.

There is also provision for flexitime where an organisation gives its employees the opportunity of a flexible working hour’s arrangement. For example, working from home. This may increase staff motivation in the sense that, those given the opportunity to work from home may increase their output simply to prove that was the best wise decision on the company’s part.

The council also provide family responsibility days an example can be when a related person is ill or the death of family member. The council does not have sexual harassment policy and cases of sexual harassment are reported to the police. The work place is also disability friendly such that there are toilets for PWD and there are ramps for easy movement.

The council promote local entrepreneurship and the council is still not having markets for entrepreneurship. It is also having arrangements with other agencies that finance entrepreneurship, especially women, PWD and the youth, for instance, Donors go via Council while financing CBOs.

Sanqebethu Community Council allocated a substantial budget to gender-related projects for the 2019 to 2020.

Men, women, PWD and youth are equally involved in projects that help to fight climate change such as waste management, sustainable energy and recycling as well as donga rehabilitation. Women, men, PWD, and youth are again involved in the planning, management, maintenance of water and sanitation. SRHR facilities are accessible to young people, especially young women, and PWD for example, two monthly outreach clinics are open, one with established structure, the other use chief’s place.

The Council have taken measures to reduce maternal mortality and the councillors encourages expected women to use clinic facilities. The council is also involved in initiatives to reduce teenage pregnancy and It encourages both men and women to use condoms. Condoms are distributed through Councillors and accessible at the Council office.

The Council participate in campaigns to raise awareness on gender- based violence (GBV) and through Councillors and Chiefs, GBVs and Village Crime Prevention Committees are reported to the police.

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