No plans to review District Aids Coordinators ‘ job descriptions
There are no plans now or in future to review the Job Effectiveness Descriptions of District AIDS Coordinators ( DACs).
This is because DACs’ duties have not changed and as public officers, they can still progress beyond the salary scales that they are in and subject to availability of positions across ministries and departments.
Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Setlhabelo Modukanele told Parliament in response to a question this week. Member of Parliament for Maun East, Goretetse Kekgonegile wanted to know the plight of the DACs in terms of office, professional placement and progression, in particular, the rationale of DAC being housed and supervised by District Commissioners at District level but professionally filed under the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Corporate Services and professionally working under National Aids and Health Promotional Agency ( NAHPA).
Modukanele said, in order to ensure and enhance a multi- sectoral response to HIV/ AIDS pandemic, Primary Health Care Services ( PHCS) were initially under the then Ministry of Local Government until 2010 when the same Primary Health
Care Services were relocated to the Ministry of Health through Presidential Directive CAB/ 188 of 2009.
He said services that were relocated to Ministry of Health were health education, curative health care, community health and family healthcare.
However, HIV and AIDS Coordination and Environmental Health services remained with the Ministry of Local Government.
But, since HIV and AIDS were declared a national emergency, there was need for a multi- sectoral approach and active involvement of stakeholders in the HIV/ AIDS response.
Modukanele said this required a coordinating office in the form of the office of District Commissioner who coordinates all government programmes at district level; therefore it was only appropriate to house the office of the DAC under the supervision and administrative support of the District Commissioner.
Modukanele explained that DACs can still progress beyond the D3 Scale subject to availability of positions across ministries and departments.
He said the management of Non- Communicable Diseases ( NCDs) or COVID- 19 response is not the mandate of the District AIDS Coordinator office as these fall under NAHPA.
Modukanele reiterated that the current structural arrangement does not denote any plight whatsoever and would continue to be reviewed as the situation may dictate going forward.