30 Aug 2017

Members of the Botswana Civil Service Pensioners Association (BCSPA) have been urged to continue to mobilise and bring more members into the association so that it continues to grow from strength to strength.

That was said by Speaker of the National Assembly, Ms Gladys Kokorwe when officially opening BCSPA 18th annual general meeting in Mahalapye on August 29.

Ms Kokorwe also appealed to members to continue to run it professionally, efficiently and effectively.

She noted that the association was an initiative that could fill in the gaps that open up at retirement.

She explained that the association brought together individuals with similar experiences and gave them an opportunity to share and exchange ideas, thus reducing uncertainty, anxiety and a lot of other emotions associated with retirement.

The association was a voluntary non-government organization, established to provide service to the nation in government and the private sector.

It was registered in 1998, has paid up membership of 4 266 as at March, 2017 and has opened branches at 22 locations around the country.

This years’ theme was Pensioner, a Critical Human Resource in the Development of a Country.

Ms Kokorwe said the theme talks to them as they continued to serve, offer advice, counselling and mentoring their communities.

She said they were available to contribute to the transformation of the nation as consultants, and also as business men and women.

Further, Ms Kokorwe said they were available to partner with government to advance the welfare of Batswana, adding that she was informed that they strongly believe in the partnership.

She said above all they were available to provide service and welfare to their fellow pensioners as these noble gestures were embodied in their values that embrace and uphold the Setswana traditional courtesy of Botho.

She said some of their objectives included upholding collective responsibility and respecting consensus, to act faithfully, sincerely with integrity, honesty and accountability.

She also said they existed to take an active role in the affairs of the society and contribute to the development of the country.

Ms Kokorwe said all these showed that in their retirement they had successfully identified adjustments that one had to make and they had reorganised the structures of their lives.

She said this also showed that they had found purpose and a personal meaning, and they were not limited by thoughts of lack and inadequacy that tend to influence a lot of people at retirement.

For his part, BCSPA president Mr Baikatlhodi Kesenye said as pensioners they had a lot to offer the country, especially the civil service since they worked at a time when the country had minimal resources.

Mr Kesenye said they believed that as pensioners if used accordingly they could do more to nurture others, pleading for government support since they had good brains which could be put into good use.

He noted that if they could be used they could be fruitful to the economy of the country and also be used to guide the current civil service just as the Setswana norm of ‘letlhaku le lesha le agelwa mo go le legololo’. ENDS