06 Oct 2014

The out-going Vice President, Dr Ponatshego Kedikilwe, told hundreds of well-wishers at his official farewell party on October 3 that he has played his part in the development of the country.

Dr Kedikilwe, who was in the company of wife, Elizabeth, said he was grateful for having served this country for almost half a century.

He told the attendants who among them were President Lt Gen. Seretse Khama Ian Khama, former Presidents Sir Ketumile Masire and Dr Festus Mogae that he had confidence in other people's capability.

He said quite often people asked him what he was going to do upon his retirement and he informed them that he would like to go back to his home village of Sefhophe .

He further said he had registered a deed trust called Dr Ponatshego and Elizabeth Kedikilwe Childhood Development Trust, which he would give his attention.

The objectives of the trust would be to provide early childhood educational facilities such as infrastructure, furniture, equipment and stationery, appropriate teaching aids and toys, short consultancies, capacity building and training, curriculum development with specific focus on institutions in the rural areas to minimise deprivation.

According to Dr Kedikilwe, many had suffered deprivation on account of the disabling environment. He therefore noted that the digital age and growing global competition called for creation of opportune and opposite opportunities especially in the rural areas to complement and supplement government effort.

Meanwhile Dr Kedikilwe, who is known for his mastery at the Queen’s language and deep eloquence in Latin, thanked President Khama for bestowing him with Naledi Ya Botswana Award and for further having appointed him twice as cabinet minister then Vice President and the chairman of the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP).

He also thanked former Presidents Sir Ketumile and Dr Mogae for appointing him to their cabinets during their tenure of office. Among others he thanked the people of Sefhophe for their parental guardianship, and the people of Maunatlala where he spent part of his formative years at primary school.

“I thank my co-workers in government over the many years in particular my personal secretaries and permanent secretaries who bore the brunt of immediate fire.

My special thanks to my Mmadinare constituents whose cooperation, patience, understanding, tolerance all sustained my representation in Parliament for the 30 unbroken years,” he said. Meanwhile, Dr Kedikilwe, who is widely described as workaholic, said he has the honour and fortune to have lived during the watershed area.

The watershed of the old and the new, from the era where messages were sent by dispatching a man on a horseback and travelled a long distance over some days and now to era of ICT, the digital era of Facebook, twitter and others.

Giving welcome remarks at this function, chairperson of the organising committee Ms Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi said it was difficult to say goodbye to a person who had greatly served the nation with diligence and dignity.

He also noted that Dr Kedikilwe is a principled man who put the country first other than his own personal ego, a commendable attribute he displayed following the Gantsi BDP chairmanship battle between him and President Khama.

She further thanked Mrs Kedikilwe for her support she extended to her husband during all his civil service and political career. Ends