Fourth president Lt Gen. Dr Seretse Khama Ian Khama and Minister of Agricultural Development and Food Security, Patrick Ralotsia have pleaded with Batswana to pledge their livestock for sports persons through their newly established project: Agriculture for sports.

Addressing members of Botswana Democratic Party at a rally in Oodi on Friday, the former president said the initiative came after they saw the need to reward sports persons for the sterling job they were doing in representing the country and raising the country’s flag high.

He said the programme would be like a pension fund for all sport persons in athletics, soccer or any other sport in the form of livestock to aid them in future when their careers ended or became inactive in sports due to age.

The former president said Batswana were to pledge their livestock to the programme while him and Minister Ralotsia would keep a record of who pledged so that they could contact them once in need of the livestock. He noted that whoever pledged would take care of the pledge until it was needed.

The Vision 2036 champion said they wanted agriculture to become the backbone of the country’s economy, and that the programme came at the right time to make that a reality.

He explained that the programnme would also be a motivation to upcoming sport persons to push themselves to reach the top so that they could be rewarded and continue the race set before them by other athletes.

Furthermore, former president Khama said government schemes such as LIMID, ISPAAD and CEDA would be put to good use as the athletes would use them to assist in grooming and developing their livestock. Lt Gen. Dr Khama pleaded with Batswana to pledge as the livestock would not be for him, but for those that had dedicated their life to the country.

He said he and Ralotsia had already pledged and were hoping other leaders would follow suit to help in the success of the programme.

He commended athletes who won medals at the just ended Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in Australia.
Lt Gen. Dr Khama said the athletes performed well and thanked Vice President Slumber Tsogwane and other government ministers for giving them a warm welcome. He appealed to Batswana to welcome the athletes when they go around the country or arrive at their respective villages. BOPA