24 Nov 2019

President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi says government has made progress in achieving the objectives set by Cabinet in its last year’s retreat.

Speaking at Manong Lodge, on November 23, when officially opening the first Cabinet retreat since the recent elections, he noted that they had successfully reviewed the lifting of the 2014 hunting suspension.

The President further noted that some of the recommendations emanating from the nationwide consultations would be used to strategise on the management of human-wildlife conflict.

He said the newly formed National Transformation Strategy Task Team hit the ground running in developing the reference document that would guide the implementation of Vision 2036. 

The developed strategy will guide the changes needed in transforming Botswana. 

The objectives of the retreat were to deliberate on the challenges facing the country and the possible solutions that could help in the development and improving the lives of the people.

Dr Masisi, therefore, implored cabinet members to extensively brainstorm on the strategies that could be used to transform the country through the government’s priority areas that included job creation, improved service delivery and fighting corruption, among others.

“As we have been given a new mandate by Batswana following the general elections, this is an opportune time for us to review where we have had the biggest challenges in implementing our development programmes and come up with robust policies in closing the identified gaps,” he said.

He further noted that the meeting would give them an opportunity to introspect on their achievements, re-prioritise and map a way forward on new demands since it was the midterm review of the National Development Plan 11.

President Masisi underscored the need for the private sector to play a role in the country’s transformation and realisation of national objectives.

Meanwhile, Dr Masisi said the government was concerned with the high rate of gender-based violence and abuse, particularly concerning women and children.

Consequently, he said his government was committed to addressing the issue through various strategies at their disposal.

“I want to assure you that the government will not rest until this problem is brought under control through a combination of strategies that include strengthened legislation, policing and effective mobilisation for community involvement,” he noted. ends