07 Sep 2017

Acting district commissioner for Central District, Mr Charles Modise says efforts will continue to contact parents and relatives of defaulting youth beneficiaries and locate those who had relocated without consulting the youth office. 

Mr Modise said this when presenting the District Development Committee report to the ongoing Central District Council meeting. “We are encountering challenges of failure to service loans and relocation of youth beneficiaries without informing the youth office,” he said. 

He noted that the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sports and Culture Development had funded 2 543 projects out of which 2 207 were operational while 283 had collapsed and 99 were at procurement stage. 

Mr Modise said the programme experienced challenges such as lack of commitment and high rentals which defeated its intended purpose of job creation. He said over P39 million was owed and that only P254 650 was collected during the quarter leaving an outstanding balance of over P36 million. He added that about P3 million had been collected since the inception of the programme.

Mr Modise said employment was at 3 843 people with a turnover of P881 149. On Community and Social Development (S&CD), he said the department was faced with challenges of beneficiaries abandoning projects due to lack of interest.ENDS