the monitor

YDF wheels jam as youth fail to repay loans

Tumiso Rakgare
Tumiso Rakgare

Recipients of the Youth Development Fund (YDF) funding have been urged to repay their loans, as failure to so disadvantages those on the waiting list.

The call was made by President Mokgweetsi Masisi in his last week’s State of The Nation Address where he bemoaned that the repayment of loans is currently low. “For the sustainability of the fund, as well as for equity, I urge recipients of loans to timely repay their loans as this is a revolving fund,” he said.

YDF, which is housed under the Ministry of Youth, Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development, is a half grant and half loan arrangement. Beneficiaries are expected to repay their loan component to enable government to sustain the programme as a way of demonstrating responsibility and accountability. For years, government has been concerned about the number of youth who default on their loans.

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