Over P170m for Tirelo Sechaba

The programme, scheduled to start on April 1, 2014, will cost government P178 million in its first year, including allowances for its 15,000 participants and other costs.

Programme participants will earn a P500 per month allowance, with an additional P200 put aside in an interest-earning account to be collected by participants upon exit of the programme. Participants will be attached to various government departments, including the Botswana Police and the Botswana Defence Force (BDF), performing various public service duties, including the distribution of Omang cards, the minister told journalists on Tuesday. The programme is one of those government has instituted to deal with the high rate of youth unemployment, currently estimated at 46.6 percent, with the hope that it will empower young people with work experience and prepare them for self-employment opportunities.