04 Dec 2018

Just as previous presidents were given time and space to implement the vision they had for the country, President Mokgweetsi Masisi should also be supported to introduce his governing style.

Mineral Resources, Green Technology and Energy Security minister, Mr Eric Molale, said this when contributing to State-of-the-Nation Address debate at the National Assembly on November 3.

Mr Molale said it was unfortunate that some people questioned President Masisi’s reforms, some even questioning if that meant he had disagreed with policy decisions taken when he was vice president.

“When president Sir Ketumile Masire left office, his successor Dr Festus Mogae introduced his own policy directions or areas of focus, such as focusing on the fight against HIV and AIDS. Then we had Lt Gen Seretse Khama Ian Khama who also had his own leadership style.  Now we have President Masisi and some people are questioning his right to be different.  

He should be allowed to implement his own plans just as his predecessors did,” Mr Molale said.

Mr Molale  singled out the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Duma Boko for criticism , saying  there had been a lot of grandstanding and playing to the gallery in Mr Boko’s response to the SONA.

“Mr Boko went as far as questioning where the President was when decisions were made in the previous administration, and a recent question from the Serowe kgotla was quoted.  But any leader needs to implement his own ideas in government, what President Masisi is doing is not peculiar.  

The President was also honest about our government’s accomplishments and challenges,” Mr Molale stressed.

Meanwhile, Minister of Defence, Justice and Security, Mr Shaw Kgathi, praised President Masisi for being a visionary leader whose speech spelt out the hope for an all-inclusive society that did not leave anyone behind.

Mr Kgathi gave the example of the decision by government to extensively consult communities and other stakeholders on reviewing the hunting ban, as well as national symposiums featuring different stakeholders on issues such as democracy and human rights.

“This shows that we have a President with a vision, who inspires hope of better lives, for a prosperous future. The people in my constituency, who often come into conflict with the huge elephant population were particularly happy with the consultations on the hunting ban review, and we are clear that we want hunting to be allowed,” he said.

Mr Kgathi called for a new tarred road linking the Mathathane, Mothabaneng and Lentswelemoriti villages in his constituency and for the Martin’s Drift border gate to be better resourced to deal with the excessive volume of people moving across the border.

He also said the government was concerned about the welfare of Botswana Defence Force, Police and Prisons Services employees. ENDS