29 Oct 2014

President Lt Gen. Seretse Khama Ian Khama says government will accelerate efforts to ensure that skills development within the education system is aligned to emerging needs.

In his inauguration address on October 28, President Khama said government appreciated that the future could never be secure as long as many graduates remained either jobless or underemployed.

Thus, he noted that government would remain constant in the goal to develop requisite skills base to meet demands of today’s globalised, knowledge -based economy. “In our efforts towards realising people centered development we shall, moreover, continue to give special priority to youth development and empowerment,” he said.

In promoting the dignity of all Batswana, President Khama said government had pledged to create enabling environment of economic opportunity that left no citizen behind.

He further noted that a cornerstone of government’s efforts to achieve inclusive growth would be continued nurturing of small, medium and micro-enterprises (SMMEs) as vehicles of self-empowerment and catalysts for grassroots development.

On other issues, President Khama said discipline remained a prerequisite to overcoming social challenges, be it the spread of HIV, damage caused by alcohol and substance abuse, corrosive effects of crime and corruption or loss of family and community cohesion.

In any democracy, he said the rights of individuals and institutions must be counterbalanced with shared civic responsibility and consideration for the rights of others, along with the national interest as a whole.

“As I have observed on previous occasions, but here wish to reiterate, the generations who preceded us progressed with dignity through much harder times by preserving the collective discipline of their communities. Their example of achieving much with little is a challenge for all of us to find the strength and motivation to achieve much more,” he said. ENDS