19 Mar 2018

President Lt Gen. Dr Seretse Khama Ian Khama has thanked Vice President, Mr Mokgweetsi Masisi for his loyalty and support during the time that he had worked with him.

“I will never stop or grow tired of thanking him, because he has been a rock by my side, someone I have always found extremely dependably.

I have never ever, at one minute, regretted having made him my Vice President and you will never ever regret having him as your President,” he said.

Speaking at his farewell lunch organised by Ministry for Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration staff Monday, President Khama also thanked all the staff in their various roles for the support they gave him and encouraged them to give the same support to the incoming President, Mr Masisi.

President Khama also thanked Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration minister, Mr Eric Molale, and Permanent Secretary to the President, Mr Carter Morupisi for their support.

He said he worked with Mr Molale as PSP, when he became President ‘and I didn’t change him, because I found him to be very supportive.’

“And that’s why I didn’t hesitate to make you a minister in this ministry as well, because I valued your worth” he added.

He said Mr Morupisi was helpful and extremely loyal for the many years that he had worked with him ‘and I have never regretted appointing you as the PSP.’

“He was extremely amiable to any suggestions. He was someone you could sit down and talk to and work out what we thought was the best for the public service or any of the other many duties that he has,” he added.

Furthermore, President Khama thanked and commended government media personnel for being true professionals, saying they delivered news based on facts and nothing else.

“You don’t twist things, you don’t lie and you don’t try to discredit people. If you want to know what is going on in this country, you open the DailyNews, you listen to Radio Botswana and you watch Botswana Television,” he added.

In his welcome remarks, Mr Molale thanked the staff for organising a farewell lunch for President Khama and for giving him tokens of appreciation, as the outgoing leader of the country.

“You have done a very commendable thing to also join Batswana in wishing the President farewell.

It shows you appreciate his good leadership,” he said.

Ministry for Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration staff gave President Khama a photo portrait reflecting some of the activities he had been associated with in the office, a hammer mill and a petrol voucher worth P2 825.

President Khama expressed gratitude for the gifts, saying the hammer mill would certainly serve a good purpose, because he did not own one.

He also thanked the director of BGCIS Mr Russ Molosiwa for giving him a framed poem that he previously recited for him, as a gifts.

Handing over the gift to President Khama, Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration permanent secretary, Ms Kebonye Moepeng, thanked the staff for their noble gesture, saying the gifts would serve as a remembrance.

Among the dignitaries that graced the event was Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration assistant minister, Mr Thato Kwerepe, Permanent Secretary to the President, Mr Carter Morupisi and Public Service Management director, Ms Ruth Maphorisa. ENDS