01 Sep 2013

The chairperson of the Botswana National Youth Council (BNYC), Mr Metlha Mokwena has applauded government for placing the youth at the top of its agenda.

Speaking at the annual general meeting for BNYC in Palapye on Saturday, Mr Mokwena said government had provided the youth the ‘space to be’ and ‘it is for the youth to opt not to be’. He said during 2012/2013 financial year, government introduced principal youth officers at each ministry for better synergy.

Also, he said 1 061 new youth beneficiaries were funded through the Youth Development Fund programme at the amount of over P96 million creating 1 286 jobs while 1 770 young people were trained and graduated through the YES programme with 1 532 graduates attached at different organisations.

In addition, he said thousands of young people were enrolled in the back to school programme to complete their education, 38 youth owned companies have benefitted from the Economic Diversification Drive (EDD) with government contracts adding that substantial investments have been made in athletics with the youth continuing to raise the Botswana flag high in the international stage.

Mr Mokwena pointed out that the examples are of an administration that has no intentions to suffocate the ambitions of young people and allowing the youth to discover and fulfill themselves. He further encouraged the youth to set their priorities right and exert their minds and energies on value adding that they should desist from succumbing to negative peer pressure possibly leading to negative tendencies.

He said the youth are the change they really need and the answers are within their reach. Mr Mokwena also said his committee continues to grow in stability and unison and will strive to maintain the same spirit by understanding their official duties and adopting the proper lines of reporting and engagement. Mr Mokwena said his committee has developed and adopted many governing instruments which are the backbone of the organisation and will continue to guide the executive committee and staff on how things should be done procedurally.

He said the executive committee embarked on the process of engaging corporate governance practitioners in setting up sub-committees which perform many duties of importance like the awarding of tenders, recruitment, assets disposal, finance and administration amongst others. Mr Mokwena said the council still needs to have a legal standing in order to do greater business, to safeguard its asserts and be subjected to even more scrutiny as it uses a lot of public funds.  ENDS