02 Dec 2015

The Chief  Executive Officer of Unlimited Event Solution (Pty) (LTD), Mr Nick Ndaba said it was crucial to add new dimensions to the quality of life of retirees and senior citizens as they are the ones who contributed immensely to the success of the nation.

Mr Ndaba said this while providing welcome remarks at the well attended, first series of the Selebaleng Batsadi Gala Dinner, which was held in partnership with his company, Botswana Civil Service Pensioners Association (BCSPA) and Duma FM, at Gaborone International Convention Centre.

He said retirees mostly lived distressing and quiet lives as their children were grown up and have left to run their homes. 

He said such secluded life kept them away from their former colleagues and friends.

“This is very touching as such people can suffer depression, which had negative consequences, hence it should not be taken for granted.

 This is why we need to come up with activities such as this one,” he said.

Reiterating why the initiative was called Selebaleng Batsadi, as opposed to the initial, Selebaleng Bagolo, he said “we must be mindful of our Setswana culture, that, every elder is our parent, and also that this were the people, who were our parents, who helped  Botswana to be the country that it has become, and still possess the knowledge which we could still benefit from.”

He said plans were underway to establish the Selebaleng Botswana Foundation, which will be run by Batswana for sustainability and broadening its scope and area of functions.

“We are planning an initiative that we hope the nation will embrace and move on with it, and for that, we need their support, we are asking for ideas as to how we can bring more joy to the elder populace and even more activities,” he said.

For her part, the chief executive officer, for BCSPA, Ms Emelda Mathe, said people should always remember that Botswana was where it was because of the elderly.

“If they had not sacrificed the time energy and wisdom, we would not talk about Botswana of the 21^st century, thanks to their dedication and commitment to serve this country,” he said.

She said BCSPA members were retired “but not tired,” adding that their association was formed because the pensioners wanted to form a structure that will keep them at their optimum, in continuing to provide service and wisdom to the country, to ensure that the foundation they built, continues to support the new innovations that come along with the developments, hence the formation of the association and its registration in 1998.

“Now this association is a light and performing  well. As I speak, we have branches spread around different parts of this country,” he said.

She said it was fitting that the elders be accorded an active life, as being alone provided lonely thoughts, contemplating on being unworthy and other weird thoughts, which was unhealthy, as a person was an animal which was created to be able to socialise.

She encouraged elders who were not registered with the association to register as they did not only provide platforms for interaction, and knowledge sharing, but also had schemes, such as the preservation framework, which accorded members a dignified departure from the earth. Ends