23 Jun 2021

The Minister of Youth Empowerment Sport and Culture Development, Mr Tumiso Rakgare, has commended Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) for creating employment opportunities across the country.

Mr Rakgare said this yesterday during the official opening of KFC restaurant in Mogoditshane.

He said KFC continued to reach out to community members particularly the youth despite challenges imposed by the COVID 19 pandemic.

Mr Rakgare, also Mogoditshane MP, said as KFC increased its footprintsy, a good number of the youth benefitted in terms of employment opportunities. 

He  said this enabled them to be independent and be in a position to extend e financial assistance to other members of their families.

“I am told that this new restaurant has a total of 44 staff members, 33 of these employees are youth from Mogoditshane. This is a commendable effort and a milestone development especially that the country is grappling with high youth unemployment,” he said.

Minister Rakgare implored young people who benefitted to practice acceptable work ethics, saying it was a way to keep up the opportunity and stand a chance to excel. 

Moreover, he said it would be a way for the restaurant to remain the people’s choice.

He further urged KFC managers to keep up the cordial relations with their staff, saying they should shun abuse of power, verbal abuse and sexual abuse as well as uncalled practices that were a usual challenge at work areas.

In another note, Mr Rakgare commended KFC for playing a role towards social corporate responsibilities in different communities.

“I am informed that KFC feeds over 600 children from Molepolole, Francistown and Tlokweng Save Our Soul (SOS) centese, Maun and Kasane, among other areas. The kids are said to be given three meals per day,” he said.

He further said through the assistance of the district commissioner offices, KFC had managed to locate 200 needy families in Mochudi, Tlokweng, Molepolole, Maun and Francistown to assist them accordingly with relevant necessities.

For his part, Kgosi Keabetswe Dihutso commended the development by KFC saying this would not only bring in employment opportunities, rather it was another way to enhance the landscape of the village and promote domestic tourism.

KFC Botswana general manager, Mr Wayne Thoresson, highlighted that KFC was saved from liquidation by the partnership between Vivo Energy and Baobao Energy in 2018 and since then there had been a more than 60 per cent business growth.

He said since the partnership, 10 restaurants were opened in different areas, thus leading to the growth of staff members.  

Mr Thoresson stated that employees increased from 240 to 600 across the country.

He further said most of the employees fall under youth category and in addition elder women have also been considered so as to have the motherly love and guidance in the business entity. Ends