30 Jul 2020

Gaborone city councillors are in support of the youth to be allocated open spaces around the city for self-empowerment means.

Commenting on the mayor’s speech during a full council meeting on July 28 (Tuesday), councillor Mosimanegape Basalumi of Naledi Central said it was a good move for the council to avail open spaces within and around the city to the youth.

Mr Basalumi said the youth had brilliant ideas which they could rely on for self-empowerment.He said lack of space for operation hindered them.

He added that although provisions had been made to operate businesses at home, some were not favourable to be run at home, citing businesses such as mechanics.

He said the youth could be grouped, and those with similar business ideas allocated space to share.

Tsogang ward councillor, Ms Veronica Lesole also shared the same sentiments. She said unemployment among the youth continued to be a challenge.

She said giving open spaces to the youth for business could go a long way, not only to address empowerment issues, but also for economic diversification within the city.

Earlier in his speech, the mayor, councillor Father Maphongo stated that in April the council gave the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development 20 open spaces across the city to accommodate youth businesses to alleviate the shortage of operational spaces.

On other issues, councillors also expressed concern about the livestock that continued to roam the streets of the city.

Diphetogo councillor, Mr Tshepho Moloko said there was a need to come up with joint efforts to address the challenge.

“Livestock in the city continues to be a challenge. They roam around the streets causing accidents and sullying the city with their dung and all these degrade the status of the city,” he said.

He said although it was the responsibility of the council to come up with ways that kept the city clean, it was imperative that other stakeholders should intervene in the matter.

Mr Moloko also called for  restrictive measures and fines that could force farmers to keep their livestock away from the city.

Meanwhile, councillor Daniel Modise of Gaborone South decried the slow pace of allocation of Self Help Housing Agency (SHHA) plots in Gaborone due to shortage of land.

He said some people had long been on the waiting list, adding that Gaborone City Council has been allocated 349 low and middle-income plots by the Department of Lands last year September.

He said out of the plots, 125 had been allocated and that 10 applicants were rejected as they already owned plots elsewhere in urban areas within the country. ENDS