12 Aug 2026

Minister of Youth and Gender Affairs, Ms Lesego Chombo says government must shift from treating young people as passive beneficiaries of programmes to engaging them as active partners in solving the challenges they face.

Speaking during a consultative meeting with Student Representative Council leaders from tertiary institutions across the country on Monday, Ms Chombo said meaningful collaboration between government, institutions and students was key to addressing persistent administrative and policy gaps.

She acknowledged that weak coordination across government systems had contributed to some of the difficulties students experience. Stronger youth representation in leadership and decision-making, she added, would improve information flow, strengthen governance and support long-term succession planning.

To give effect to the new approach, Ms Chombo proposed the establishment of an all-SRC consultative forum for continuous engagement between government and student leaders. She also proposed that student concerns be captured in a formal action register to ensure issues are tracked and followed up.

She urged SRC leaders to consolidate their concerns into a common position, comparing the process to how African countries coordinate positions before United Nations engagements.

“A unified student position would enable government to respond more effectively to common challenges, while still allowing individual institutions to raise issues specific to their circumstances,” she said.  

Ms Chombo further proposed that the full SRC collective meet with the ministry on a quarterly basis.

On deteriorating sports facilities, Ms Chombo said the ministry did  not have a developmental budget but has pursued private sector partnerships to refurbish youth centres. One facility was completed last year, and another was at an advanced planning stage, she said.

Regarding the appointment of the Botswana National Youth Council board, she said the call for expressions of interest was advertised through print and social media before candidates underwent vetting.
Any confusion around the process, she suggested, could have resulted from gaps in information reaching students rather than a lack of transparency.

Ms Chombo said the ministry’s legal team was reviewing existing legislation, including the Rent Control Act, to identify measures to cushion students against rising living costs. The allowance shortfall itself, she noted, was being addressed by the relevant ministry.

Mental health support was also discussed. Ms Chombo reaffirmed government’s commitment to decentralising counselling services so students could access support on-site without financial barriers.

She said the ministry had reserved some executive positions for young people in response to calls for reduced experience requirements. Government is also working with the Directorate of Public Service Management to move toward a competency-based rather than experience-based approach to recruitment across the public service.

On youth entrepreneurship, Ms Chombo highlighted ongoing engagement with the Ministry of Innovation to expand funding opportunities for youth-led innovation. She also pointed to the P200 million allocation to the creative sector announced last year, with part of the funding earmarked for educational content on issues such as gender-based violence through music, film, art and other platforms.

She added that the men’s sector was transferred from the Office of the President to the Ministry of Youth and Gender Affairs last year, to allow designated officials to address issues affecting men independently.

Student leaders raised a broad range of issues, including delayed allowances, unaccredited courses, disparities between in-house and off-campus allowance rates, and sponsorship shortages in fields considered saturated. They also called for greater support for young people outside the formal education system and for a formally recognised SRC union.

Ms Chombo said several issues raised, including sponsorship shortages, had already attracted the attention of Higher Education representatives present at the meeting.

The meeting ended with the ministry reaffirming its commitment to move beyond consultation toward meaningful youth participation, with students positioned not as mere recipients of government decisions but as partners in shaping solutions.  ENDS