Young Progressives mobilise SRCs
Alliance for Progressives (AP) Youth League says it is lobbying student bodies within tertiary institutions to mount pressure on government to increase students’ allowances.
Young Progressives President Jacob Kelebeng has revealed that his committee is in consultation with Student Representative Councils (SRC) on the matter. “As young progressives we believe it is time something is done about the issue. The cost of living is very high and what the students are getting is too little for them to keep up with the changing and challenging world. We have structures in most of our tertiary institutions and we believe this should make the work easy for us,” said Kelebeng.
Kelebeng who was addressing the media in Gaborone this week said they will get all the SRCs involved to come up with a document that would be presented to Minister of Tertiary Education, Research, Science and Technology on what informs the need for increase of students’ allowances.
“President Mokgweetsi Masisi as the former minister of education we are sure he is aware of the demand on the call of allowance increment by the students due to the current economic status. About eight (8) years ago student allowance were decreased from P1 920 to P1420 on the notion that the country was going under recession.
“Over the years the cost of living was escalated at a higher rate therefore there is a need for increment of allowance to match the cost of living. As the youth league we have since resolved to mobilise the SRCs, students and all members of progressive student movements to demand allowance increment as a matter of urgency”, he said.
Should government fail to accede to this demand he said they would change tactics to punish government of the day. According to Kelebeng they would mobilise the youth to ensure that Botswana Democratic Party loses the 2019 elections under Masisi. He said Masisi would be the only president to have ruled for a short period of time.
“The BDP led government must know that by refusing to increase student allowances they are unofficially promoting prostitution and blesser syndrome among the student community, thus exposing them to social ills and drug abuse.”