07 Sep 2022

Young people intending to apply for the Youth Development Fund (YDF) programme have been advised to form syndicates to make it easier for them to receive the funding.

The programme also allowed the youth to do partnerships with people outside the youth bracket.

Speaking in a kgotla meeting in Lecheng on Monday, Assistant Minister of Youth, Gender, Sport and Culture, Mr Buti Billy, said this year’s applications had been extended to September 13.

“We are living in an era where technology is highly used, therefore the youth can use many platforms to market the business,” he said.

Nonetheless, he told the youth that successful businesses needed commitment and perseverance.

A youth, Mr Moabi Obuseng, suggested that the YDF grant be increased from P100 000 to P500 000 because setting up a business was costly.

He also suggested that applications for the funds should not have a time frame, but rather be open all year round because many times people had complained about missing the deadline.

In response, Minister Billy noted that increasing youth grant from P100 000 to P500 000 was not advisable given the country’s economic situation.

He also highlighted that the YDF had been reduced from P2 million to P1.3 million per constituency as most of the development funds in the country were channeled to the COVID-19 pandemic fight.

Still due to COVID-19, Mr Billy noted that constituency tournament funds had also been cut.

Commenting on a different matter, a resident of Lecheng, Mr Kgakgamatso Ponatshego decried delayed residential plots allocation, saying some grown up children were now crowding their parents’ homes.

Kgosi Prince Obuseng of Lecheng said there was land in the village that they had availed to land board to allocate people, adding  he was unhappy with the delay.

Another resident, Mr Dipatiko Montsho complained about transferring of land ownership which he said had become problematic.

Palapye Sub-land board chairperson, Mr Isaac Maforaga acknowledged the delay in land allocation.

He, however, noted that sometimes it was caused by the fact that many players were involved such as surveyors and planners.  ENDS