07 May 2017

Minister of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development, Mr Thapelo Olopeng has appreciated those who recognise the ministry’s efforts of empowering the youth to be active players in the economy.

Responding to Kgosi Alphonse Nsala’s commends during a kgotla meeting in Tutume recently, Minister Olopeng noted that such feedback gave them strength to work beyond expected standards in ensuring that young people do not take the back seat while struggling with unemployment.

In his welcome remarks, Kgosi Nsala had praised the work done by the ministry to empower the youth.

Minister Olopeng told residents that by this week they would be launching other initiatives to serve the young generation.

He added that they were in consultations with other stakeholders with the goal to create partnerships to expand funding for youth projects.

However, he stated that additional funding through those financial institutions would only be approved if the beneficiary’s records of payment for the Youth Development Fund loan were upto date.

He also noted public concerns, including those by the Tutume umbrella Village Development Committee, that the same people were benefiting from government programmes such as LIMID, Gender Affairs and YDF.

Minister Olopeng noted that people were taking advantage of the fact that there was no system linking the different departments offering funding.

He said he had since met with his counterparts of the concerned departments to come up with a system which would enable them to screen those who had benefitted to allow other people to benefit.

On other issues, Minister Olopeng highlighted that they were in the process of introducing track and fields events as part of constituency tournaments.

He said this was prompted by the young people who were doing well in athletics, hence a way of encouraging them at an early stage. ENDS