07 May 2018

A Youth Development Fund official has expressed concern over beneficiaries who fail to honour their obligation on funded projects.

The programmes officer in Letlhakane Ms Tswarelo Mechidi informed Low Level Business Consultative Council recently that they were also worried by acts of  fraud by some beneficiaries.

Ms Mechidi said the office had called beneficiaries and discussed loan repayment issues together with challenges.

A youth committee she said was formed to work with the office on the issues.
She stated that 335 projects were funded since inception of Youth Development Fund in Boteti during 2009/ 2010 financial year, with 135  in Boteti East and 200 in Boteti West.

The projects she said were funded to the tune of P31 0000, 269 projects were operational, 48 collapsed, 17 at procurement stage whilst one has relocated.

Ms Mechidi noted that only five finished paying their loan component and graduated.
She further noted that grace period for 222 of 335 YDF projects in both Boteti East and West had elapsed and should have started payment of their loan component.

Five of the projects had finished payment of their loan component and one among them had been refunded.

Total arrears for Boteti East and West stand at over P5 million .

Boteti Business Community chairperson Mr Anthony Dancho advised department of youth to equip the youth on financial management, saying that could enable them to do repayment of loans.

Mr Dancho noted that everybody was not cut out to be a businessman suggesting all those who were starters in business should not be funded and should instead be drilled on business skills.

He stated that taking the applicants through business would enable the department to identify those who were determined to embark on business as some would pull out from training.

Debswana representative Mr Tumelo Molelekwa noted that Debswana had introduced a programme aimed at strengthening the youth in business skills and they pulled out immediately as they realised there were no grants.

The district deputy district commissioner Mr Ewetse Selelo embraced the idea suggesting it should also be proposed to government. Ends