BCP Youth League Demands Urgent Action from Minister Maele on Student Welfare

The Botswana Congress Party Youth League (BCPYL) has taken a firm stance against what it describes as government neglect of tertiary students, particularly those in mainstream institutions. In a strongly worded open letter dated 3 July 2025, the Youth League, through its Student Liaison Officer, Cde. Loago Saleshando, criticizes the Ministry of Higher Education for what it calls selective and performative policymaking.

According to Saleshando, while the government has publicized improvements—such as a one-hour sponsorship approval process and an increase in the allowance for TVET and Brigade students to P1,900 these measures fail to address the lived realities of the majority of students. “You did not speak to the hunger. The rent we can’t pay. The transport we can’t afford. The one meal a day that too many students survive on if they’re lucky,” Saleshando states.

He further accuses the government of reneging on its promise to increase the living allowance for mainstream tertiary students to P2,500, a pledge which had mobilized national student support but has now been shelved without explanation. Saleshando questions the government's priorities, asking, “Are students in mainstream higher education not part of your vision?”

The letter highlights additional concerns, including the unresolved re-sponsorship of over 4,600 students, some of whom have been waiting since 2003. Saleshando points out that while the Ministry boasts of digital application systems, many students do not have access to internet, electricity, or devices to make use of such services—revealing a disconnect between policy announcements and student realities.

Saleshando emphasizes that 87% of all tertiary students are enrolled in mainstream institutions, yet they continue to be sidelined in major policy improvements. “You left us out. Again,” he asserts, adding that the government's selective attention amounts to abandonment of the majority.

Saleshando outlines a series of urgent demands on behalf of the Youth League, calling for a definitive date for the implementation of the P2,500 living allowance, immediate clearance of the re-sponsorship backlog, and reforms to the current points-based sponsorship system to ensure fairness for underprivileged students. He further urges the government to subsidize campus meal prices, noting that the current cost of P25 to P30 per meal is unsustainable, and to expand student accommodation or lease private hostels to address housing shortages. The Youth League is also calling for the introduction of rental price ceilings to protect students from exploitation and for the provision of affordable or free student data packages, particularly in institutions like the University of Botswana, which still do not offer such support.

Saleshando maintains that the Ministry’s failure to respond with clarity and sincerity will compel students to escalate their demands through protest and other forms of direct action. “We will not be bought with peace meals. We will not clap for crumbs. We will not sit quietly while a select few benefit and the majority suffer,” he warns.

The BCP Youth League says it is prepared to hold the Ministry accountable until students receive the dignity and support they deserve. “We are not afraid to be revolutionary,” Saleshando states. “We are not afraid to speak truth to power. And we will not stop until the voice of every student is heard and respected.”