YDF wheels jam as youth fail to repay loans
Monday, November 13, 2023 | 300 Views |
Tumiso Rakgare
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.
In one incident, a young woman awoke in a guesthouse with no memory of how she got there, feeling 'violated' by a man she called a friend. In another case, a 22-year-old was brutally raped whilst walking home with friends in the early hours. And, most heartbreakingly, a 16-year-old girl is at the centre of a defilement case after failing to return home.As we approach the festive season, a time meant for joy and community, these stories...