22 Nov 2017

Minister of International Affairs and Cooperation, Dr Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi has defended President Lt Gen. Dr Seretse Khama Ian Khama’s absence from most African Union (AU) meetings.

Responding to State-Of-Nation-Address (SONA) on November 21, she said President Khama should not be blamed for missing out on the African Union’s coveted Chairmanship position.

She said when President Khama assumed Presidency, he delegated Vice President to attend AU and United Nations meetings among other meetings.

Dr Venson-Moitoi said President Khama should be commended for the Intellectual Property Rights as one of the policy’s intended to protect Batswana’s products and services at the international markets.

On other issues, Dr Venson-Moitoi further said she was hopeful that Batswana would open up to research innovations through the Botswana Institute for Technology Research and Innovation (BITRI) that had been established to strengthen research capacity in the country.

She said Batswana should utilise BITRI to use indigenous products that they could export to other countries as well as to broaden employment opportunities.

Dr Venson-Moitoi, who is also MP for Serowe South, took the opportunity to inform Parliament that she would not come back to Parliament after 2019.

She also commended Speaker of the National Assembly, Ms Gladys Kokorwe for her sterling performance as the speaker as her tenure comes to an end. ENDS