19 May 2014

Acting Minister for Presidential Affairs and Public Administration, Mr Shaw Kgathi says African Union (AU) needs to start playing a major role in re-engineering processes within the continent for enabling and empowering Africa to become a force to reckon with in terms of the global economy.

“I strongly believe that Africans have the power, knowledge and the might to turn the resources in Africa to be a source to reckon with,” he said.

Speaking during a courtesy call by Uganda’s state president minister, Mr Henry Banyenzaki on May 19, Mr Kgathi said intra-trade among African countries was something that governments and people of Africa should promote.

Mr Kgathi said Botswana was following, with keen interest, the ongoing discussions on the regional integration process of the east African community countries and looked forward to drawing lessons that could inform the same process underway within the Southern African Development Community.

“Success by two regional economic communities in this regard would provide firm building blocks to the overall integration agenda of the African continent,” he said. Furthermore, he said Botswana and Uganda had a long cordial relationship and about 1 500 Ugandans were living in Botswana.

He acknowledged the contribution that Ugandan nationals were making to the sustenance of Botswana’s economy, including through rendering essential education and health services.

He commended the people and government of Uganda through President Yoweri Museveni for continued efforts in bringing lasting peace in the region, particularly in Somalia, where numerous soldiers perished.

Ugandan minister, Mr Banyenzaki said he had been following with keen interest a success story of Botswana on how it transformed , through transparence and management of resources. He said Botswana deserved the credit for the management of its resources and their contribution to the lives of Batswana.

He said his delegation was on a three-day benchmarking mission to learn about the transformation of Botswana and how the country gained the middle-income status, especially that Uganda was on its way there. Ends