Summit 2020-Tsoelikana Council COE

Tsoelikana is found in the rural area called Tsoelike in the Qacha’s Nek district. The key characteristics of this place is that it has a beautiful weather; The Sehlaba-Thebe National Park and the former prime minister who served longer, former president of Senate; The Principal chief of Qacha’snek. It is a tourist attraction.

The council joined the COE in 2010.No Gender policy yet, but they align themselves with existing policies from central government for gender policy and action plan. The council has a high profile champion within the council. The council has 12 women and 14 men councillors and the council needs to increase this 46% of females to at least 50%. The council is chaired by man and the deputy mayor is a woman.

Of the total workforce, the council employed 14 women, 5 men and two percent people with disabilities. In the management, there is one woman and a man, finance officer is woman. The Council amended the recruitment, selection and promotion policies to increase the proportion of women in the workforce. The council has 4 committees and 2 are chaired by women.

The council provide 3 months paid maternity leave and less than a month paternity leave. The council also provide family responsibility days it time of emergency issues concerning the family such as the employee’s babysitter calls in sick.  The council also provide flexi time where an employee is given the opportunity of the flexible working hour’s arrangements such as job sharing.

The council does have a sexual harassment policy and the cases of sexual harassment are reported to the police. The council has disability friendly facilities such as the entrances which accommodates PWD. The council has the community police forum and the relationship between them is worm for they work hand in hand. On public gathering, the council ensure that the police are also invited.

Tsoelikana Community Council allocated budget to gender-related projects for 2019 to 2020.

Under local economic development, there is a building of mini market at Sehlaba-thebe which is not yet completed but aimed at supporting creation of employment for men, women, Youth and PWD. During construction phase, women provide thatch for roofing, while men engage in actual construction and there are no finance schemes at the moment that are supporting entrepreneurship.

The council is allocating land for everyone including youth and PWD.On the other hand, there is a plan aimed at construction of water pipes that brings water to the council and the nearby community. The project is to be funded by the Chinese company that is currently working on the construction of road from ha Mpiti to Sehlaba-thebe and RWS is implementing water projects requested by local communities’ projects. In terms of ending violence,16 days of activism launched by MGYSR was held in 2019 as public awareness campaign in collaboration with council and the community public gatherings.

In climate change men, women, PWD and youth are equally involved in projects that prevent climate change such as waste management, sustainable energy and recycling and benefit from economic opportunities arising from this.

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