11 Feb 2018

President Lieutenant General Dr Seretse Khama Ian Khama has promised to put to good use the presents and gifts he continues to receive from Batswana during his farewell tour.

He acknowledged that the kind of gifts he had been receiving suggested that he ventured into farming.

President Khama was saying this in Lerala on February 9 where the constituents gifted him with a tractor, planter, trailer, grade plate all valued at P394 697. 

They also gave President Khama six cows, 29 goats, two sheep, 73 chickens, five cattle water trough, five goats water trough, two traditional chairs, seven shade trees, a portrait of President Khama and P55 000.

President Khama also received P25 000 from Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST).

President Khama said the kind of presents that he got from Batswana ever since he started to bid them farewell depicted that they wanted him to become a farmer .

He said although he had his roadmap when he became a President, he depended on his programmes such as soup kitchen, walkabouts and kgotla meetings to hear how Batswana should be assisted and what they wanted him to do.

He said he tried by all means to do what Batswana wanted him to do.

Likewise, he said, he had his own plans of what he would do when he retired but he has since  realised that Batswana had plans for his retirement too.

President Khama welcomed the presents and said they were going to be useful to him. 

He said he was planning that he was going to buy a tractor, a grader and a trailer when he retired so that he could use them somewhere but he did not know whether he was going to manage.

He also thanked BIUST for the gifts.

He thanked the constituents for allowing him to appoint their Member of Parliament as a minister.

He said Mr Maele was a hardworker and knew his job well. 

He said he had never regretted working with him.

He thanked the residents for always understanding when Mr Maele could not visit them due to the commitment that he had as a minister.

President Khama promised Lerala/ Maunatlala constituents that he was going to continue working with them upon leaving his office. 

He thanked the constituents for coming in large numbers to bid him farewell. 

He promised the residents that he was going to form a football team in Tswapong area because he had realised that the area had many talented football players.

The Minister of Land Management, Water and Sanitation Services Mr Prince Maele said President Khama had touched the hearts of many Batswana in different ways. 

He said residents appreciated many government programmes which were designed to improve their lives such as Ipelegeng, Youth Development Fund, constituency league and sport competitions.

He said programmes played a positive role in the lives of Batswana.

He said the lives of those who had benefitted from such programmes had improved.

He said he was thankful of  Lotsane Dam which provided the entire constituency with water.

He said President Khama was sympathetic and always willing to help people who were in need.

He said President Khama was also compassionate and caring.

He however said that President Khama made a difference in the lives of Batswana. 

He said he also interacted with Batswana to appreciate their concerns.

He said President Khama was a considerate person and through the President Housing Appeal, more than 700 houses had been built for the less privileged. 

He thanked President Khama for the developments in his constituency.

He said he was optimistic that if President Khama was afforded another opportunity somewhere to work for Batswana he would work diligently.BOPA