06 May 2018

Youths in Leshibitse, Rasesa and Artesia in Mochudi West constituency have been urged to utilise government programmes to uplift their lives and create employment opportunities for their peers.

Addressing youths in those villages, the Assistant Minister of Youth Empowerment, Sports and Culture Development, Mr Dikgang Makgalemele said there were various programmes, other than the Youth Development Fund (YDF), which the youth could use to improve their lives.

He said youths as Batswana, were also entitled to various programmes such as LIMID, ISPAADD and Poverty Eradication initiatives.

Youths can also apply for Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency funding which also has a programme called the Youth Farmers Fund.

The assistant minister said in addition, the government had various initiatives such as the Affirmative Action for Youth through which youths had been given special dispensation such as halving the price of tender documents.

Further, the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry runs a programme called Economic Diversification Drive (EDD) which has reserved a quota for youth owned companies.

Mr Makgalemele said all this was in line with what President Mokgweetsi Masisi said during his inauguration speech, where he said youth empowerment would be his government’s top priority since they make 60 per cent of the nation’s total population.

He called upon the residents of the three villages to come up with plans on how they could utilise government programmes to develop the youths.

The assistant minister explained that prior to the revision of the National Youth Policy in 2010, the limit was 29 years, but this was increased following concerns from the public.However, for those participating in the constituency tournaments, the age limit is 40 years.

Mr Makgalemele said his officers had been seconded to almost all ministries to look for opportunities for the youth to do business with government.
In Leshibitse, he urged the youths there to form groups saying this would make it easier for them to be helped.

This came after, Kgosi Mooketsi Kgotlele of Leshibitse said the youths were faced with numerous challenges such as access to land and water.

Kgosi Kgotlele urged the assistant minister to help them, saying the area had abundant ground water and therefore, if the youths were grouped together, they could be given a piece of land and a borehole for them to start an agricultural project.

Kgosi George Thwane of Artesia urged the assistant minister to always ask accomplished athletes to accompany him in his meetings saying this would encourage the youth to participate in sports. Ends