25 Mar 2025

The Minister of Higher Education, Mr Prince Maele, says government is prioritising allowances for brigade students, who currently receive significantly less financial assistance compared to their counterparts at universities. 

This statement was made during a meeting with the presidents of the Student Representative Councils (SRC) from the University of Botswana (UB) and Botswana Accountancy College (BAC) on Monday.

Minister Maele revealed that approximately 35 000 students were financed by the government, out of which 8 500 were enrolled in brigades facing similar financial challenges as those at UB. 

While brigade students receive an allowance of P300, university students receive P1 500 if living on campus and P1 950 if residing off-campus.

Despite plans to increase the student allowance to P2 500 as previously promised, budget constraints have delayed these enhancements. 

However, the Minister emphasised their commitment to elevating the brigade allowance in future adjustments to ensure equity among all tertiary students.

“Ga re a boela morago tsholohetso. Re ntse re mo go yone. Re santse re e batlela ditsompelo kana madi gore re tle re kgone gore re duele bana ba di tertiary institutions madi a re a soloheditseng. Ga ke a helela mo budgeteng ya maloba kana committee of supply re ne re e bega kwa Palamenteng,” Minister Maele state. Loosely translated, as “We have not turned away from our promise. We are seeking funding to give students allowances as per our promise.”

The minister aims to submit supplementary budgets to address financial gaps and expressed hope that SRCs would facilitate communication with the student body about the situation. The education budget was initially set at P3.1 billion, with expectations of reaching P5.6 billion, however, it ultimately totalled P4.6 billion, including P18 million allocated for development.

Minister Maele noted that the budget would focus on rectifying the inadequate infrastructure at brigade schools.

“Our promise still stands. We are committed to this promise and we will definitely deliver it at some stage,” he remarked, adding that there will be a concentrated effort on brigade students in 2025 due to their urgent needs.

Additionally, Mr Justin Hunyepa, the Assistant Minister, affirmed their readiness to engage with various SRCs to ensure students have a conducive learning environment, contributing to the country’s development of a capable workforce and addressing skills mismatches.

However, Mr Kwena Kwena, the president of the UB SRC, voiced concerns over the disparity in living standards, stating he prioritised advocating for university students. 

He pointed out that many brigade students live in villages. For those living in Gaborone,he said  the cost of living was high saying the student allowace could not cover their expenses. 

He expressed disappointment that Minister Maele visited UB without meeting with the students directly, highlighting the vital need for a more equitable support structure for all students. ENDS