26 May 2013

Francistown councillors have been asked to use various forums to educate the youth about government initiatives meant to address unemployment and poverty.

Addressing a full council meeting recently, deputy permanent secretary in the Ministry of Youth Sports and Culture, Mr Jefferson Siamisang advised the Francistown City Council to lend a helping hand in addressing youth issues by including them in the council’s Urban Development Plan which is yet to be approved.

Mr Siamisang said the youth are mostly affected by HIV/AIDS, unemployment, crime and poverty, and they constitute 38 per cent of the country’s population within the 15-35 years age category.

He said councillors through the use of kgotla meetings and social events could educate the youth on government’s introduced Youth Development Fund, Youth Empowerment Scheme and Constituency Sports Tournament. 

Commenting, councillor Mr Ben Mpotokwane of Donga lamented the slow process of constructing a National Youth Centre in Francistown.

He said the centre could be used to curb delinquency as youth could interact and spend their time in those centres.

Councillor Mr Rraoboy Mpuang of Monarch East decried strict business regulations, saying the youth are not allowed to start taxi business under the Youth Development Fund guidelines, yet it was a viable idea.

Cllr Mpuang further said constituency sports programmes have no proper regulations as such committees had been operating at free will which hinders cooperation.

Somerset East councillor, Mr Meshack Matseka said the ‘Buy Botswana’ practice was slowly dying as youth in the manufacturing business find it difficult to sell their goods.

He advised the youth to venture into the export businesses.

In response, Mr Siamisang said they were currently engaged in district youth festivals across the country in an effort to create awareness among the youth on setting up businesses and drafting business plans.

This year, he said the ministry engaged over 500 youth in boot camps which were held in Pandamatenga.

Since its inception, he mentioned that the Youth Development Fund has financed around 130 projects in Francistown of which only 114 projects are in operation, 13 have collapsed and three projects have relocated. He said all these projects were awarded P11 million collectively.

Mr Siamisang highlighted that the Ministry of Infrastructure, Science Technology has allocated 15 per cent of their maintenance budget to local youth companies.

He said funded youth projects which are in the foot and mouth disease zones would be looked into accordingly by the ministry.

He said despite government’s initiatives, youth have a tendency of being impatient and expect high profits instantly which results in businesses collapsing. ENDS