17 Mar 2013

Palapye MP, Mr Moiseraele Goya says the budget allocated to the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture is insufficient to address unemployment among the youth.

Debating the ministry's budget proposals, Mr Goya also argued that given concerns that the minister had expressed about recovery of the youth development fund loans, time was nigh to review projects and programmes.

As such, he said an audit should be done in order to examine whether such initiatives were achieving their intended purpose. He also said youth must be trained extensively on business management to avoid situations where their businesses end up collapsing due to lack of skill.

On other issues, Mr Goya said there was need for a sport strategy as well as a change in the curriculum to make sport a core instead of an extra-curriculum subject to develop athletes at a young age.

Again, he said the minister should also ponder on sports tourism and probably have hotels at the Okavango Delta and sports facilities to host international competitions, particularly tennis.

On constituency tournaments, the MP was concerned about poor management of the initiative despite its popularity among the youth. He also said there was a need for recreational facilities and sports courts in Palapye.

Maun East MP, Mr Frank Ramsden was worried about non visibility of youth officers in his area. He said most youth who applied for agricultural projects, especially small stock suffered a set back because of the foot and mouth disease monthly outbreaks.

On sport, the MP was  concerned that there were no administrators or scouts in the area to identify talented athletes who could be developed and represent the country in various sporting codes.

For his part, Mr Oreeditse Molebatsi of Tswapong South complained about youth officers whom he said were not available to assist youth in the area.

He said the recreational park that was promised to Tumasera was long over due. Thus, he implored the minister to explain what could be causing the delay. 

Lobatse MP, Mr Nehemiah Modubule wanted the Minister  to explain why YES participants were trained at the Botswana Defence Force base camps and by the BDF officers in financial management and entrepreneurial skills.

The MP was also concerned that participants were taken into such camps not aware of the kind of training they would go through.

He also said there were allegations that some female participants who were pregnant were put through intense physical training which led to miscarriages and also suggested that participants should be taken through medical examination to determine whether they were fit for heavy tasks during the camp. ENDS