Chema Chema beneficiaries left in limbo
Chema Chema loan beneficiaries, who have waited years for approved funding, were left frustrated on Tuesday after the government directed them to form business clusters but gave no money or timelines for disbursement.
Entrepreneurs had gathered for a consultative meeting with Minister of Trade and Entrepreneurship Tiroeaone Ntsima, expecting clarity on the status of their applications under the discontinued Chema Chema Programme. Instead, they were told to organise themselves into groups of 10, with similar businesses forming clusters.
One beneficiary, speaking anonymously, said many believed the meeting would finalise payment processes.
“I thought they called us to check if our bank accounts were still active so they could send the money,” she said.
She added that the cluster requirement came as a surprise.
“We were told poultry farmers should form a group, tuckshop owners another. We immediately formed groups and asked what the next step was. But how can we run businesses with people we don’t know?”
Disappointment grew after the meeting ended without answers on when funds would be released. “The minister walked out without explanation. We are disappointed,” she said.
Chema Chema was introduced by the previous Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) government as a loan programme to support entrepreneurs. It was later discontinued by the new administration over
irregularities and converted into a grant.
While some applicants approved in 2024 received funding, others remain in limbo.
Permanent Secretary, Joel Ramaphoi told the Public Accounts Committee that the original model failed due to repayment challenges. He revealed that outstanding approved applications amount to about P192 million, but only P52 million is currently available.
Ramaphoi said consultations were meant to discuss the way forward under a new initiative to replace Chema Chema. The meeting, however, ended without a solution, leaving beneficiaries dissatisfied and awaiting another engagement