27 Jun 2022

 A total of 17 clients successfully graduated from the Local Enterprise Authority incubation programme since 2016.

Kgatleng District Council chairperson, Mr Daniel Molokwe told a full council session recently that all of them were operating from different warehouses in Pilane, Mochudi and Gaborone.

Mr Molokwe said currently the incubation was at 50 per cent occupancy and selection process was underway to accommodate more incubates. 

He said in order to improve diversification of the economy, an area has been identified in Bokaa to put up a textile incubator to house incubates and other textile clients in Kgatleng, who required specialised machinery.

Mr Molokwe further said the development would leverage on the school uniform import ban and PPE for different sectors. 

He said to push the Feed the Nation agenda, a horticultural collection centre had been proposed in Kgatleng to service the horticulture farmers in the Madikwe area.

He noted that the aim was to enable farmers to access markets and the produce to be collected from one place. 

He also said the Ministry of Entrepreneurship had already approached courts for litigation against some defaulting Youth Development Fund beneficiaries as most beneficiaries were reluctant to service their loans despite their projects doing well.

“The office has embarked on recovering loans, has issued loan statements and is engaging youth to make repayment plans. Let us encourage the youth to repay the loans in any platform available,” he said.

He noted that follow-ups on loan repayment was also affected by some beneficiaries who did not take calls or were unavailable at their office during check-ups. 

“We are at a point where we need joint venture intervention. 

Let us bear in mind that this money is the same money that will be used to finance other youths,” he said. ENDS