09 Oct 2016

The church has contributed to peace prevailing in Botswana since independence.

Giving a key note address at the Trinity Church in a ceremony to mark deliberations of the church since 1966, the Minister of Nationality, Immigration and Gender Affairs, Mr Edwin Batshu said peace did not come by sheer luck or coincidence.

He said it was a product of level headedness by the current generation’s predecessors, who made conscious decisions to avoid war at all costs.

Mr Batshu said where there were differences on opinions or deep rooted ideologies, the parties had to settle them through negotiations.

“Hence our expression ’ntwa kgolo ke ya molomo.’ War can be very ugly you all know that, it drives people out of their homes, causing loss of life’s, separating loved ones and breaking up families,” he said.

Minister Batshu implored the church to continue opening its doors to people of all walks of life and consistently preach peace to them.

Ms Annah Lewanika concurred with the minister when giving the objectives of the event that it was to reflect on the contribution the church has made in the socio-economic and political landscape of Gaborone.

She said it was to celebrate those who had the vision to build the church and grow it over the years. He also noted that the event was to reflect and share the changes that have taken place over the years and segment them through perspective s of elder, youth and church minister.

Meanwhile Mr Sandy Grant, a historian said he was told by one of the senior academic that one of the old buildings in the city was trinity church, but had never been able to discover who its architecture was.

Mr Grant said he was flattered, as he always admired the church but never heard anyone suggesting that it so architecturally distinguished.

He said all these years when he raised the notion with Derek Jones former minister of the church, “recently he told me that the architect was Francis Green, then of Swaziland; That the design had won an award, but couldn’t provide details. ENDS