31 Jan 2016

Vice President Mokgweetsi Masisi has implored Francistown artists to charge prices that would make them grow.  

Addressing artists at Youth House, Masisi urged them to save money for the future, adding that some artists have a tendency of charging high prices when the government seeks their services or purchasing their products. 

He said all presents bought as tokens of appreciation should be from local producers, adding that the future of the country was in their hands and encouraged Batswana to support one another by buying locally produced goods.

He said the Economic Diversification Drive (EDD) was set up so that Batswana could also benefit.  

Vice President Masisi said artists were in line with government flagship programmes of diversifying the economy by creating employment for Batswana. He encouraged them to keep growing and create employment opportunities for many Batswana especially the youth and urged them to invest by buying Botswana Telecommunications Corporation Limited (BTCL) shares.

The Vice President encouraged Batswana to eradicate poverty by utilising government programmes such as Ipelegeng, Youth Development Fund (YDF) and funding from the Gender Affairs Department.

 Commenting, one of the artists, Lemogang Keitshokile said they were engaged in a wood carving project, which started in 2010. The project, he added, started with 36 students taught by a Zimbabwean who volunteered his services to teach young Batswana wood carving.

Keitshokile said out of the 36 students, only three have left and were operating their own businesses following a funding by the Department of Youth. So far, he said, about 70 per cent of the loan has been serviced. 

He said they use (Motswere) and dry wood from dead trees that were lying on the ground, noting that they were working together with the Forestry and Range Resources Department and Ward Development Committee (WDC) to get the necessary permits.

Keitshokile cited challenges such as lack of transport to source materials and machinery outside the country and lack of a local market, adding that they advertise their work at lodges and hotels in the country. He said if they could get an opportunity to go international they could sell better.

Tshireletso Lechaena of Yvonne’s Kalahari Desert Flowers also revealed that her company was selling flowers made of imported special paper.

She said she initiated the idea after realising that the country was getting drier and drier, hence the supply for fresh flowers was getting lower and lower.  

Vice President Masisi also toured the displayed stalls.

For her part, Francistown mayor, Sylvia Muzila appreciated the Vice President’s tour and the presence of Assistant Minister for Presidential Affairs and Public Administration, Dikgang Makgalemele. 

She encouraged artists to design small, light and portable arts and crafts with varieties for tourists to carry.

 

Muzila said they would have an open market for the artists in Francistown. Ends