31 Mar 2019

Politicians must serve the nation and stop being selfish.

So said President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi when addressing the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) Southern District councillors in Kanye on March 29.

President Masisi said leaders’ focus should be on representing people, developments in their constituencies as well as growing the party.

He therefore challenged BDP Southern District councillors to serve the interest of electorate   rather than their own.   

To that end, he said it was imperative for political leaders to understand the party’s mandate and what it represented.

He implored democrats to be committed to peace and their democratic right to vote as well as showing wisdom to those who do not share the same views with them.

“Please accept that you are leaders and we are the ruling party. Let us take this country to the next level,” he said.

For his part, Southern District Council chairperson, Mr Alec Seametso called for discipline at the up-coming presidential elections that would see the President Masisi and long time cabinet minister Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi coming head to head for the presidential candidacy at the Kang congress on Friday.

Mr Seametso urged democrats to refrain from alcohol consumption and anything that might prevent them from exercising their right to vote as it meant a lot to the future of the country.

Earlier on, the president had met councillors from both the ruling party and opposition, together with public officers in the district. In that meeting he appealed to Batswana to do business in the country where local commodities should beat the best in the international market.

President Masisi said government would create a conducive environment for people to do business in the country, hence they need to ‘bring in best brains, money, expertise, and businesses’.

“We should go out and look for money to come into the country,” he said.

He challenged residents to be innovative and see how best they could utilise the beautiful landscape of Kanye to improve lives, citing that there was only one recreational park in such a picturesque landscape.

It is the beauty of Kanye that would lure tourists into the area,” said Dr Masisi.

Regarding shortage of water, Dr Masisi implored resident to accept that water usage was soaring, thus they should use it wisely. 

On other issues, he said such research institutions as Botswana Institute for Technology Research and Innovation (BITRI) and National Food Technology Research Centre (NFTRC) presented opportunities for employment creation, pointing out that the ideal of technology was to find daily solutions.

President Masisi said he would love to see an automobile made by a Motswana powered by a solar panel, adding that technological advancement and innovation generates employment.

He said as for production facilities in Kanye such as BITRI NAFTRC, more scholars and researchers were employed, noting that they were cheaper than expatriates. ends