27 Jun 2013

High rental fees are some of the factors that cripple youth funded projects.

It is against this background that assistant head of youth office in Mahalapye Sub-district Council, Mr Onkabetse Lemo called on landlords to charge reasonable fees when leasing out their properties to youth funded projects.

Mr Lemo said in an interview that some charged exorbitant fees under the impression that government paid the rent whilst it was the Youth Development Fund beneficiaries who paid. He further pointed out that lack of market, predators and diseases affecting livestock and lack of commitment by some youth also affected the projects.

He further intimated that change of location without informing the youth office was breach of contract. He also appealed to the business community and government departments in Mahalapye to support youth projects urging that without their inputs youth projects were bound to fail.

Mr Lemo pointed out that 271 projects worth over P24 million were funded in Mahalapye West, Mahalapye East, Shoshong and Tswapong constituencies since 2009. The majority of projects, he said, were from agriculture such as goat and cattle farming, adding that 409 jobs were created from the projects. ENDS