Green monkey on youth ministry�s back

Mmegi Editor | Tuesday August 9, 2016 11:43

For lack of a better word, the group could be best described as naive. Farmers are organised into groups and associations that engage their parent ministry and the universe of different financial sector participants are equally well structured. Between them and their parent ministry is a galaxy of state agencies.

MYSC stakeholders, on the other hand, tend to be untethered individuals, often only presenting with their God-given talents and precious little else. And, they are predominantly younger or more youthful than the intended beneficiaries of other ministries.

Due to fewer state agencies in the MYSC, the ministry often deals with its intended beneficiaries on a personal and individualised level, calling numerous pitso and tackling complaints on a face-to-face basis. When he came into office in 2014, minister for Youth, Sport and Culture, Thapelo Olopeng became an instant sweetheart to many, quickly appreciating the uniqueness of his ministry and its intended beneficiaries. His highly responsive approach and dynamic leadership won him a strong following among his youthful stakeholders, who praised the quick turnaround and sensitivity to youth, sport and culture issues. However, the ministry’s success has also been its undoing, with rising complaints from intended beneficiaries caught in the slipstream of the Minister’s resolve to ‘fast-track’ implementation.

Both the Bot50 and Miss Botswana fiascos have the same underlying factors, being an apparent laxity in procurement processes that has given rise to complaints, allegations and the befoulment of the minister’s original noble intent. A storm has brewed around Bot50’s much-publicised P100 million purse, with promoters and musicians alleging corruption, favouritism and politicisation of the procurement process and the celebrations themselves. At Miss Botswana, the MYSC stepped in to stop the rot of previous years which had resulted in contestants suing organisers over non-delivery of prizes and organisation. Miss Botswana 2016 has become riddled with increasingly embarrassing revelations and accusation to the point that the winner’s chances at Miss World are growing dimmer by the second. Part of the problems stem from the MYSC’s decision, in its intervention, to by-pass the procurement of an events agency, which would have interfaced with the Botswana Council of Women (BCW) and set the minister’s expectations, targets, along with the budget. As it appears, the MYSC’s individualised, and fast-track approach means ministry funds were simply turned over to BCW, which, enjoying the long rope from the ministry, ultimately failed to deliver the minister’s objectives of overturning Miss Botswana pageant’s streak of controversy. We should not sacrifice prudence on the altar of expedience. Thorough procurement processes will allow MYSC to not only set budgets, but align these with expectations, desired outcomes, penalties for failure, loss recovery etc. As emotional as MYSC beneficiaries can be, they too will have to accept that the ministry’s funds are not confetti at a wedding, but taxpayer funds to be accounted for.

 

Today’s thought

“If we don’t get a grip on government spending, there will be no growth.” 

 - George Osborne