28 Feb 2022

Youth in Chobe have been challenged to take advantage of the Pandamatenga farming area to ensure that Botswana is self-sufficient in food production.

Addressing the Chobe town hall meeting on Friday, the Minister of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development, Mr Tumiso Rakgare advised youth to do away with the perception that farming was for the old and the retired.

He rather encouraged them to position themselves better and enjoy the benefits that come with Pandamatenga area as a special farming economic zone.

“Government is committed to ensure agriculture is appealing to the young people through the provision of all necessary infrastructure and programmes.

Mr Rakgare said those in the Chobe area were lucky to have the abundant natural resources, fertile soils and vast waters which presented opportunities either in integrated agro-commercial farming, animal feeding production, processing of veldt products such as morula and motsentsela among others.

Mr Rakgare said since the Chobe district is well known for the Seperu traditional song and dance world over, young people need to develop partnerships with hotels to popularize the dance and even organise dance festivals.

He encouraged young people and the local creative artists to explore commercialization of the Mushishi dress adding that the dress could become a signature design to develop the local modelling industry.

He also noted opportunities for supply of fabrics for the dress which was currently sourced in Zambia.

Mr Rakgare said with Botswana in the process of bidding for the AFCON 2027 tournament, the youth need to start preparing on how they would benefit from the competition.

He urged them to start buying boats and form consortiums which would give them the edge in the tourism sector.

Mr Rakgare also encouraged the youth to utilise technology to improve their way of doing business and desist from using social media for things that do not add value to their lives.

 The assistant minister in the same ministry, Mr Buti Billy encouraged the youth to explore opportunities at the Kazungula Bridge.

He appreciated Mr Obert Morgan for taking advantage of the bridge and coming up with the marathon adding that the local youth should also come up with ways of how they could benefit.

Mr Billy said there were government policies and programmes in different ministries that complemented each other for the benefit of the youth.

During comments, Mr Gobusamang Mafikizolo from Pandamatenga urged his mates to change their way of thinking and join clubs and other groups that could help bring positive changes in their lives.

He commended government for choosing Pandamatenga as a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and urged the youth ministry to advise SEZA to set aside some of the anticipated industries for the youth.

Another youth, Mr Seroka Lebita of Parakarungu called on the youth ministry to revisit the YDF with the view of funding water points. 

He said there was abundant water in Chobe which they could not benefit from as water provision was not catered for in YDF.

In response Minister Rakgare concurred that there is need to revisit YDF to include the provision of water points. BOPA