22 Apr 2025

Bobirwa  MP, Mr Taolo Lucas has implored Eloyi Christian Church (ECC) to pray for Umbrella for Democratic Change-led (UDC) government to succeed in fulfilling the aspirations of Batswana.

In praying for the UDC-led government, Mr Lucas said, the church should not only pray for fulfillment of their promises, but pray against temptations for self-enrichment at the expense of the very people they should be the custodians of.

“Pray for them as the custodians of national assets and coffers amongst other things, against the temptation to steal or feed their appetite for self-enrichment,” he said during the official opening of ECC’s Easter holiday official opening ceremony, Friday, at the church’s headquarters in Tsetsebjwe.

“You should pray that they let what belongs to the nation remain as such while they also propel the wheels toward fulfilling your aspirations as a nation,” Mr Lucas added.

While entreating the church to pray for the governing party, Mr Lucas also appealed to the church to pray for the opposition parties, who keeps the rulers in check, against ‘just opposing,’ but do so with substance and honesty.

Over and above the parties, MP Lucas called on the ECC to pray for the nation at large and also for the safe return of the missing Ms Gomolemo Seroba, a Motlhabaneng Primary School teacher who disappeared January 12.

The MP then called on the government to abandon the policy that required churches to tender for plots, arguing that many churches were not knowledgeable on tendering.

“I don’t think it was an informed decision to seek churches to tender for plots and I appeal that this policy be abandoned,” Mr Lucas said.

He said that he backed the then minister of lands, Mr Kefentse Mzwinila, when he promised that where churches were found to have squattered and or occupied the land illegally, their allocation would be regularised so that they conformed to the land allocation requirements.

In his inventory of appeals, MP Lucas also beseeched the government to lower lease fees, saying churches found the leases hefty and were in debt.

Speaking at the same function, minister for State President, Mr Moeti Mohwasa informed the ECC congregants that a UDC human rights-centric government respected people’s freedom to worship and or freedom of religion or belief.

This freedom is considered a fundamental human right that allows individuals or a collective to practice their faith openly without coercion.

“As such, our government will continually ensure that such a freedom is respected and also devise ways to better enhance this sector,” minister Mohwasa said.

“Our commitment to this human right was demonstrated December last year when we reviewed societies act and took a deliberate decision that to enable all to be able to register their churches they’ll be required to have at least 20 members,” Mr Mohwasa added.

The minister also recognised the ECC for engaging in the transformation agenda, a road map to the future of the church. He said that while the transformation was a positive move, it never sought to downplay efforts charted by the founding fathers of the movement that had 217 branches in Botswana and 20 in South Africa.

“The church leadership found the need to enhance what is already in existence to keep abreast with requirements as stipulated by the societies act,” he said.

Mr Mohwasa, said the theme, “Unity in Christ, a symbol of victory and new dawn of faith,” harmonises with the new dawn that came with ushering in of the new government after 58 years of the BDP rule.

A new government committed to ensuring improved livelihood for every Motswana in every corner of the country, will fulfill Batswana’s aspirations by amongst other things creating jobs and growing the economy of this country, said Mr Mohwasa.

To achieve the ideals of the new government, the minister called on all the stakeholders to assume their roles in developing the country as a united force. ENDS