15 Feb 2016

Minister of Youth, Sport and Culture (MYSC), Mr Thapelo Olopeng has advised the youth to exercise regularly to avoid non-communicable diseases such as high blood pressure, Diabetes and obesity.

Mr Olopeng said his ministry had devoted every second week of the month as a National Fitness Programme Day across the country.

The minister started off the day by taking a five kilometres walk with the youth from Makgadikgadi Junior School to the village’s main kgotla where the day finished off with aerobics exercises.

Minister Olopeng encouraged Mosu youth to exercise regularly to save government millions of pula lost through treating non communicable diseases.

“Back in the days, sicknesses such as high blood pressure were only found among the elderly people but nowadays they are found among the youth due to unhealthy lifestyles and lack of exercising,” he said.

The youth sport and culture officer in Boteti, Ms Chedza Malapela promised to form an aerobics club in Mosu to be monitored by her office in Letlhakane.

She encouraged the youth to continue exercising even in the absence of the minister. 

For his part, Kgosi Prince Kopano of Mosu advised the youth to take advantage of government programmes such as the Youth Development Fund (YDF) and Economic Stimulus Programme (ESP) to better their lives.

He cautioned youth against drug and alcohol abuse and advised them to show maturity in what they do. Ends