04 Dec 2016

Principal elections officer (PEO) for Tutume region, Ms Basadi Ntshutelang has informed Nkange constituency Party Liaison Committee (PLC) that they had received a correspondence of agreement from their ministry to have Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) youth ambassadors given monthly allowance.

This, she said, at the PLC meeting in Tutume on Wednesday (November 30).

She noted that the agreement followed numerous requests from youth ambassadors requesting that they should be given allowances to sustain themselves as they execute their responsibilities of reaching out to the youth on their respective constituency to participate on the electoral processes.

Ms Ntshutelang therefore explained that the allowance is going to be at par with Tirelo setshaba more so that they will be engaged through the programme.

She nonetheless pointed out that they have since realised that some of the youth ambassadors they already have surpassed the age limit of 20-30 for Tirelo Setshaba and therefore have to be relieved of their duties.

And in that note they are as IEC going to run an advert which will be placed at all relevant public places such as kgotla offices and the clinic across the constituencies under their jurisdiction so that interested youth can forward their applications to be youth ambassadors but only if they are within the age category of Tirelo Setshaba.

In their region, she said they have four places for the position and upon being selected which will be based on passing the interviews, the qualified candidates will be required to work based at their respective villages where they live since they do not have arrangement for relocation of selected candidates.

However, Ms Ntshutelang outlined that they will facilitate the movement of the ambassador on the plans and programmes he/she has to undertake towards the outreach of youth on electoral processes in the respective constituencies they would have been assigned to.

She emphasised that their intention is to have youth that are not affiliated to any political in order to avoid conflict of interest when they undertake their duties adding that as IEC they are going to monitor and make assessments on everything the engaged youth will be doing.   

On other issues, she informed the PLC that there are some amendments in the Electoral Act which include the increase of nomination fees in which inspiring candidates will be expected to pay nonrefundable fee of P5 000 from the P500 which was paid before in the past elections to contest for the member of parliament position while for council seats it has been raised from P100 to P1 000.

Commenting on the update, the committee said there should have been intense consultation prior to making adjustments so that Batswana can have their say in such changes. And they said consultations by the secretary of IEC on electoral voting machine should not be limited to certain villages only but be extended to many so that majority of Batswana can be covered. ENDS