04 Aug 2019

The President, Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi, has consoled two familes that lost their loved ones recently.

He relayed his condolences to Ms Daisy Pholo’s family and also visited the family of Mr Balisi Sebudubudu who met his untimely death on June 1 when he was attacked by an elephant.

Ms Pholo, who was the former MP for Selebi Phikwe, died on July 31  after a long illness and was buried in Selebi Phikwe on Friday.

Dr Masisi, who was accompanied by the Minister of Defence, Justice and Security, Mr Shaw Kgathi, told the Pholo family that he found it fitting to come and offer his condolences to the family, after learning about their loss on arrival in Bobonong where he was to address a kgotla meeting.

He said the deceased served this country well during her tenure as the MP from 1999-2004. He expressed his heartfelt condolences on behalf of the BDP, his family and the nation, urging the family to find comfort in God during this difficult time.

A relative, Mr Patrick Pholo thanked Dr Masisi for his love and making time to visit the family.

Ms Pholo, who was born in 1948, leaves behind three children, two sons and a daughter.

Meanwhile, while visiting Mr Sebudubudu’s family, the President Masisi reiterated that his government put the lives of Batswana ahead of wild animals.

President Masisi said he learnt of the former’s death whilst on an official trip in the United States where he was accused of killing elephants by an unknown woman.

In fact, he said, the accuser alleged that he had his hands tainted with elephants’ blood.

President Masisi said in response to the accusations, he addressed the critical issue of human-wildlife conflict, which had gained momentum.

He said Mr Sebudubudu’s death was a direct result of human-wildlife conflict where wild animals encroached into human space.

Despite accusations and calls from certain quarters to stop killing of elephants, President Masisi said government had lifted the hunting ban to scare off elephants and other wild animals back to their habitat.

He said lifting the hunting ban was a result of his consultative approach where Batswana aired their grievances and suggested solutions to persisting problems.

Dr Masisi delivered his message of condolences to the deceased’s family, saying that the leadership of the country was equally pained by the loss of human lives to elephants.

For his part, Mr Kgathi said the president was true to his promise to visit the family. The president, he said, had relayed a message of condolences whilst still in the US. Earlier during a kgotla meeting in Bobonong, residents had complained about the prevailing human-wildlife conflict in their area.

In response, Minister of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism, Mr Kitso Mokaila reiterated that where elephants encroached into human space and threatened lives, such animals should be killed as provided for in the law. ENDS