12 Jul 2017

Ntlo Ya Dikgosi has been informed that currently government has no plans to set up unemployment fund.

Responding to a question asked by Kgosi Thabo Maruje III at the just ended Ntlo Ya Dikgosi session, Minister of Employment, Labour Productivity and Skills Development, Mr Tshenolo Mabeo said employment creation remained one of the major priorities of government as it is deemed a sustainable solution to the problem of unemployment.

Pursuant to this, he said, government was implementing numerous citizen empowerment programmes such as the Economic Stimulus Programme, Youth Empowerment Scheme, Women Empowerment Programme, among others.

Minister Mabeo in this regard encouraged Batswana to take advantage of the programmes not only to generate income for themselves, but to also create employment for others.

Kgosi Maruje III had asked the minister to explain if he had any plans to setup unemployment fund considering the current economic challenges and retrenchment trends.   

Meanwhile, Minister of Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration, Mr Eric Molale told Ntlo Ya Dikgosi that the Department of Broadcasting Services recruited passionate and knowledgeable freelance sport commentators who are, are articulate and possess a clear and audible voice.

The minister noted that the recruitment process started with placement of an advert in the DailyNews and Botswana Television. 

Shortlisted candidates are then called for a written interview, which is followed by auditioning of those who have passed the first stage.

He however, explained that sport commentary was a talent not possessed by many people, noting that it was because of this talent that the department engaged such talent irrespective of whether they were engaged elsewhere or not.

He said newly engaged sport commentators, including youth, are coached in-house and assisted to settle by the department’s seasoned sport presenters and commentators.  

Kgosi Kgomotso Boiditswe of Serowe region had asked the minister to explain criteria used in engaging sport commentators in state media and state why the same people were engaged for sports commentating when they were gainfully employed and whether there was any deliberate effort to train youth in sport commentating. ENDs