02 May 2018

International Lions Club District 412, which includes Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe held its 56th International Convention in Selebi Phikwe from April 27-30.

Speaking during the meeting recently, councillor for Kagiso/Sesame, Mr Moses Serite, who was representing the Selebi Phikwe mayor’s office, commended the Lions Club for the charity work the organisation had done around the world, including Botswana.

He explained that Selebi Phikwe among other places in the country also benefitted from the Lions Club, noting that the charity organisation established a school for the disabled called Re Ka Kgona Rehabilitation Centre in the town.

The councillor thanked Lions Club for the good gesture and also commended them for choosing Selebi Phikwe to host the convention.

Chief executive officer of SPEDU, Dr Mokubung Mokubung also commended Lions Club International for holding the event in Selebi Phikwe.

He said meetings of such magnitude boosted the hotel and hospitality sector in the town, especially during this time when the town’s economy was facing challenges due the closure of BCL Mine.

He also explained the mandate of his organisation, noting that it was set up to pioneer the resuscitation and diversification of the region’s economy, especially after the closure of BCL Mine, which was the mainstay of the region’s economy.

He said SPEDU looked at areas that would help resuscitate the economy of the region, which include manufacturing, agro-business, dam and sport tourism among others.

He further stated that SPEDU, through the government has put in place incentives such as tax cuts to lure investors to the region.

Also, he noted that SPEDU helped investors acquire land for their business projects.

He went on to call on attendants at the convention to consider investing Selebi Phikwe if they intend to venture in any businesses in Botswana.

Meanwhile, Mr Jona Machaya from Zimbabwe, who is the previous District 412 governor, thanked all the Lions Club members from the four countries for attending the convention, adding that they should continue to work together as a unit to serve humanity.

Lions Club International director, Mr Vijay Kumar Raju said that the Lions Club had touched many people’s lives across the world. ENDS