31 May 2016

Churches have played a pivotal role in building Botswana and continue to do so even today, their role in social protection, moral strengthening, health services and education is well documented, said Assistant  Minister for Presidential  Affairs  and Public Administration Mr Dikgang Makgalemele.

The assistant minister said this during the 38^th celebration of Organisation of African Institute Churches (OAIC) held in Palapye recently. He said he had learnt that OIAC churches did not just strive for recognition and existence but they also continue to attend to the social needs of the less fortunate and to poverty eradication.

OAIC organisation started as far back as 1978 in Egypt as an international brand of African believers across the motherland who celebrate the existence of the universal God within the context of their unique cultures, and it account to 50 per cent of the Christian community found in this country, with only over 600 denominations registered with the Registrar of Societies out of a total of about 1200 in Botswana.

Mr Makgalemele also applauded the organisation for extending the hand and acting swiftly toward the President’s call through his housing appeal initiative by planning to assist the less privileged at Nlapkwane and  Tshimoyaoula  through their members and for also having found it fit to establish a poverty eradication subcommittee.

He said as OAIC, their role in mediation of church disputes has greatly assisted government, since its establishment in Botswana, where 44 cases out of 48 were brought before them, and had opened 13 sub chapters country wide with intention of taking services closer to the churches.

OAIC Botswana chapter was also aiming at opening 30 sub chapters offices in Botswana by 2020 with intention to reduce long distance travelling of churches.

Assistant Minister of Education and Skills Development Mr Moiseraele Goya said it is pleasing to have various denominations gathered under one roof with one organisation called OAIC, saying that was a prove that churches were all serving one God.

He said the gathering in Palapye should bring a huge difference as all prophets and prophetesses are gathered here. He said there is a saying that what goes around comes around, noting that the past experiences of missionaries are threatening to come back with the new roaming churches and that needs the community to guard themselves against and scrutinise before they join. Ends