- Propose P700 to P800 monthly
- “Unemployed single mothers struggle to raise their children due to financial problems”
SESUPO RANTSIMAKO
FRANCISTOWN: Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) Youth league council has resolved to table a proposal to its mother body calling for unemployed single mothers to be given monthly allowance to help them take care of their children.
The resolution, according to insiders, was adopted at a recent youth council in Bobonong and was brought by Francistown West and Ramotswa constituencies. It is said that the proposal was initially met with mixed reactions with some constituencies rejecting it. It was however eventually adopted as the majority of the delegates were in support.
The major sticking point was how the allowance would be funded. “After a thorough debate of the proposal we resolved to adopt it and it will be tabled before the coming BDP national council scheduled for next month. That is when the resolution will be thoroughly discussed before it can be adopted as a policy. It is not disputable that we have lot of mismanaged levies that could be used to finance this proposal if eventually implemented as a policy,” revealed an insider who attended the youth league closed session.
The proposal for the single mothers allowance, The Botswana Gazette, learnt was due to the fact that unemployment single mothers were facing a hard time raising children in the absence of their fathers.
“The argument that was brought is that these unemployed single mothers struggle to raise their children due to financial problems. Further the council learnt that these challenges eventually lead to depression or even suicide. So, we feel that these kinds of mothers should be assisted to raise their children with a monthly allowance. We have proposed around P700.00 to P800.00 monthly allowance,” an insider revealed.
Reached for comment BDP YL Chairperson Simon Mavange Moabi could not confirm or deny the development. “At our council we discussed and adopted a lot of resolutions that we will table at the coming national council for further review. Therefore, I am not in a position reveal what we discussed because we are still going to forward these at our mother body for thorough discussion. The national council is the one that will take the final decision,” he said.