21 Dec 2022

Botswana’s bid to jointly host the 2027 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) continental football tournament, alongside Namibia could leave a legacy of sustainable development in sports infrastructure and human capital, Assistant Minister of Youth, Gender, Sport and Culture, Mr Buti Billy has told Parliament.

He expressed the sentiments when presenting the Transitional National Development Plan (TNDP) Public Investment Programme (PIP) budget estimates for his ministry.

Mr Billy said the benefits of hosting the AFCON 2027 would span across nearly all the sectors of the economy and stimulate the transport, tourism, hospitality and communication sectors.

“Bidding to host AFCON finals in 2027 and investing in it is consistent with the objectives of Pillar 1 of Vision 2036 of a Sustainable Economic Development, that relate to infrastructure development, leveraging leading information communication technology (ICT) as a key to economic growth and building a self-sustaining sport industry,” Mr Billy said.

He added that for the successful bidding and hosting of AFCON 2027, Botswana needed suitable playing and practice facilities.

“To that end, guided by the just-to-be commenced facilities audit, existing facilities will be rehabilitated and new facilities constructed such that Gaborone, Francistown, Maun and perhaps Lobatse and Kasane are ready to host matches. The facilities will also be at hand for Botswana to host other major sporting events in the future,” Mr Billy said.

On other matters, Mr Billy said over the two financial years covering the TNDP, 2023-24 and 2024-25, government plans to further integrate the youth perspective into sectoral and inter-sectoral programmes as well as their delivery, monitoring and evaluation.

Mr Billy also said the Youth Development Fund (YDF) had been used as the primary vehicle for financing youth business start-ups as well as for training and development of operational spaces.

He revealed that the Revised National Youth Policy of 2010 was being reviewed in order to make it more relevant.

“Attention shall, therefore, be given to specifically ensure that the youth are involved across all sectors including health, sexual and reproductive issues, economic empowerment, life skills and leadership development,” he said.

He noted that the implementation of various policies and programmes aimed at entrepreneurship development, youth character building and improving job readiness skills for the youth segment would continue during the TNDP.

He further said youth centres would be rehabilitated, equipped and adequately capacitated to develop the youth espoused by the National Vision 2036 and all national strategies.

He said the TNDP would ensure implementation of the National Creative Sector Strategy 2020-2025 to capacitate and empower local artists.

Another major milestone he noted was the enactment of the National Arts Council of Botswana (NACB) Act, 2020 which established the NACB as a parastatal. The primary purpose of the

NACB is to facilitate and drive growth, promotion, investment and marketing of the arts as a sector.

He also noted that the National Creative Industries Strategy had been developed in partnership with the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the private sector and the Companies and Intellectual Property Authority (CIPA).

A youth channel called Now! TV, which airs on DSTV Channel 290 was established in 2018. The channel has also been streamed online. A deliberate effort was made to empower local youth film and television producers by procuring their local content for beaming on Now! TV channel as well as online, thereby creating jobs, he said.

He said so far a total of P65 million has been spent on content acquisition since inception in March 2018.  while more than 70 local companies have benefited. ENDS