Bakwena decries inadequate funding

Speaking at the Pitso Ya Ngwao conference held at the Gaborone International Convention Centre (GICC), Bakwena said that as compared to youth and sport, the arts received limited funds.

"The budget allocated to the arts from the ministry budget is the smallest by more than 400 percent as compared to youth and sports budget," he said.  Bakwena also pointed out that some of the challenges faced by the people in the arts sector are that Botswana's small population has depressed the market for artists' products and services. He also complained that it is difficult for artists to get funding from commercial banks and other financial lending institutions because the sector is informal and that new liquor regulations have reduced opportunities in the arts due to limited operating hours.