01 Feb 2024

Boteti West received 243 applications for the Youth Development Fund (YDF) in the last open period.

Addressing a Kgotla meeting in Rakops on Wednesday, Minister of Youth, Gender, Sport and Culture, Mr Tumiso Rakgare, said out of the 243 aspiring entrepreneurs, 15 had been successful and would soon receive the money.

Though the funds seem not to be enough for respective constituencies every year, the minister urged the youth to always apply since YDF was meant to empower them economically.

Mr Rakgare said the youth in Botswana constituted a larger portion of the population  hence government would want to see many of them having an income, which would mean more revenue for the country from taxes.

Still on efforts to empower the youth economically, Minister Rakgare said the government would, in exercises such as the general elections registration, continue to engage unemployed young Batswana.

He however, expressed displeasure over some of the youth engaged in the ongoing election registration exercise who go against the contract they signed with the Independent Electoral Commission.

Mr Rakgare said there were reported incidents of some absconding from work, some not coming to work within the stipulated hours, while some just disappeared without any communication, only to be phoned and found to be now working elsewhere.

On another issue, the youth minister encouraged people of Rakops to use the state-of-the-art library in the village.

He said the library had cost a lot of money, which saw government injecting about P7.6 million into the project augmenting the donor and contribution by the community.

As for the Rakops Sports Complex, Mr Rakgare said it was done in phases. Phase one was progressing well so far.

Phase one entailed the boundary wall and change rooms, and they are complete while contract for market stalls has already been signed and construction is said to commence soon.

Phase two, Mr Rakgare said, would see a football pitch, athletics track, and volley ball and tennis courts, while construction has been proposed for in the next financial year.

Phase three will be construction of stands.

Meanwhile, at the meeting, many young aspiring entrepreneurs complained about the meagre YDF money allocated to constituencies, while the number of unemployed youth continued to soar.

Those who were funded and having their businesses currently running, decried stiff competition from big companies and retail stores. Ends