Ministry fails to dissolve trust

Goitsemodimo Kaelo | Friday June 9, 2017 16:34

 

The ministry’s permanent secretary Kago Ramokate told the Public Accounts Committee yesterday that there have been efforts to dissolve the trust but they have encountered resistance from its Board of Trustees. 

NYDT, also known as Mma Masire Trust located at the Gaborone West-Phase 1 or Ga- Mma Masire as the place is known to many, was established in 1997 by the BNYC to provide educational, cultural, social and counselling programmes, to involve youth in constructive endeavours whereby society and youth may profit.

The trust was also meant to foster income generating projects using local resources as far as possible and to cooperate with similar youth organisations in promoting international understanding and awareness, facilitate leadership training, and establish plus maintain links with government, civil organisations and other bodies concerned with youth development.

When cabinet dissolved BNYC in 2015, it was expected that the ministry would take responsibility of everything that was incorporated into BNYC such as paying its creditors and or disposing its assets. However, according to Ramokate, they have failed to dissolve and take the assets of the trust because they are not in agreement with the Board of Trustees. 

“Mma Masire Trust was incorporated into the BNYC. When the BNYC was dissolved, the ministry had to take over the obligations of the Council in terms of assets and what to do with them. Unfortunately the Trustees were not in agreement with the ministry regarding the dissolving of the Mma Masire Trust,” he said. Ramokate told the committee that they are still in discussion with the Trustees over the matter.

He was responding to a question raised by thr Member of Parliament for Gaborone Bonnington South Ndaba Gaolathe, who wanted to know the status of the trust and its assets.

The National Youth Centre is in Gaolathe’s constituency. Meanwhile, Ramokate revealed that the youth television channel at Botswana television set up by the ministry could commence broadcast in August.

He said the initiative followed a discussion with the Ministry of Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration. “The station will air youth oriented programmes and youth originated and produced programming.

We are targeting August 1, 2017 for the channel to commence,” he said. He stated that they will assemble a small core team while others will be employed on contracts based on programming. The deputy director from the ministry will head the station.