Youth in the North West District have raised concerns over whether the proposed Constitutional Court reflects their immediate priorities, arguing that pressing issues such as unemployment, education and social welfare should be addressed first.
The concerns were raised during a Youth Pitso on constitutional consultations hosted by Minister of Trade and Industry, Tiroeaone Ntsima, at Life Centre in Maun on Monday. The meeting formed part of ongoing national engagements aimed at gathering public views on proposed constitutional reforms.
Speaking during the session, youth participants also highlighted challenges within the education sector, citing inadequate learning facilities and limited opportunities after completing school.
Maun Senior Secondary School Deputy Head Boy Emmanuel Dintwe said many students continue to learn in classrooms that lack adequate infrastructure and learning resources. He noted that such conditions affect the quality of education and ultimately the competitiveness of young people in the labour market.
Another participant, Tshegofatso Shawe, questioned whether the country could afford to establish the Constitutional Court at a time when unemployment remains high among graduates and young professionals. Shawe suggested that available funds could instead be channelled towards strengthening internship programmes and supporting sustainable youth employment initiatives.
Gender-related concerns were also raised during the discussion. Youth representative from Sedie Ward, Tsaone Bango, said unemployment among young women has contributed to economic dependency, leaving many vulnerable to abusive relationships.
“If we had employment opportunities then we would not be stuck in abusive relationships just to be taken care of. Government should help us stand on our feet so that we can take care of ourselves,” she said.
The youth in Maun reiterated that economic empowerment remains a key priority, urging policymakers to ensure that constitutional reforms complement efforts aimed at addressing pressing social and economic challenges affecting young people.
For his part, North West District Council Chairperson Itumeleng Kelebetseng noted that young people in the district remain among the hardest hit by unemployment. He said while the establishment of a Constitutional Court is an important legal reform, the country must first focus on addressing economic challenges affecting the youth.
Kelebetseng said government resources should prioritise urgent needs such as job creation, health services and youth empowerment programmes before institutional reforms.
“The Constitutional Court is indeed needed, but it should come at a later stage where top priorities like health and unemployment have been dealt with in our country,” he said.
Responding to the concerns, Minister Ntsima acknowledged the challenges raised by the youth and emphasised the importance of their participation in constitutional consultations.
He emphasised that addressing unemployment requires collective effort from government, the private sector and communities.
Ntsima noted that a strong and efficient judicial system could improve investor confidence, which in turn has the potential to contribute to economic growth and job creation. He explained that the proposed Constitutional Court would function as a specialised judicial body designed to handle constitutional matters more efficiently, thereby reducing delays often experienced in the current court system.
Ntsima said the court would focus on constitutional disputes, emerging issues such as cybercrime and digital fraud, as well as matters relating to human rights and governance.
“The Constitutional Court is going to help speed up the duration of court cases because it will be specialised and staffed with specialised personnel, ensuring that justice can prevail without long case backlogs,” he said.
