10 Oct 2017

Vice President Mr Mokgweetsi Masisi has urged young people to utilise government development programmes to uplift their lives.

The Vice President who is also Member of Parliament for Moshupa-Manyana was addressing Mogonye youth in a kgotla meeting on Monday.

Mr Masisi informed attendants that government remained committed to addressing the high unemployment rate, especially among the youth.

He said the programmes were aimed at empowering young citizens to be able to create employment for other Batswana and fellow youth.

He said government continued to come up with programmes that sought to eradicate poverty, create employment and turn citizens’ dreams into reality.

Mr Masisi was concerned that some young people underutilised programmes geared towards improving their standard and quality of life. He observed that they could be lacking knowledge about such programmes.

He welcomed efforts by some youth and encouraged them to keep up the spirit of consultation and working together, adding that where there was peace and stability life went well.

Mr Masisi urged youth aged 35  years and below to take up government programmes and further noted that through such initiatives government was aiming at empowering them to be able to help government diversify the national economy.

He said government would continue to work tirelessly towards ensuring a better life for every Motswana.

On other issues, he updated them on Tribal Land as well as  Deeds Registry Amendment bills which were on-going. He said  parliament was still in the process of finalising the Tribal Land Bill.

He said this was as a result of land boards’ recommendation for re-engineering of  land allocation processes, developing land information system and reviewing land related acts.

He said Tribal Land Bill made provision for registration of tribal land grants at Deeds Registry.

Mr Masisi said the amendment to the Deeds Registry Act enabled registration of customary land grants at Deeds Registry.

The Vice President  urged youth with existing plots to have their plots surveyed, saying this would also help them have security of ownership .

He also called upon those who did not have plots to apply so that they may utilise development programmes easily. He said businesses wanted them to have their own plots.

He said they had also been working on having a land information system .

He said for land to be surveyed, the owner of the plot must first have their plans approved and in rural areas the lease agreement between the land user and the land board needed to be in place.

He said government started  Land Administration Procedures Capacity and Systems (LAPCAS) programme, with a view of making the national administration of land more effective and efficient. ENDS