04 Nov 2021

The tendency by some tribes to look down on others and their languages has the potential to disrupt peace and tranquility Botswana has enjoyed over the years, President Mokgweetsi Masisi has warned.

“Just because one has an assumed privilege of power or belonging to a certain tribe should not mean they should look down upon other citizens,” he told attendants of a kgotla meeting in Kang yesterday.

  Calling  for national unity despite cultural and tribal differences,  President Masisi said the belief that some tribes and languages were superior to others was a historical flaw that needed to be remedied to avoid creating a generational curse.

  He said that was why government had decided to embark on constitutional review.

"There is already a team tasked with consulting the nation and will soon start work. They could not consult because constitutional review needs community input, which would have violated COVID 19 protocol on gatherings, but now that the pandemic is better, they will soon start consultations in earnest," he said.

He stressed the importance of contributing with the intention of building the nation above anything else. 

President Masisi said to promote equality, government had already decided on the use  of mother tongue as a medium of instruction in the first years of basic education.

He pleaded with tribes to be alive to the fact that it would not be possible to start with all languages due to financial challenges. 

He explained that a decision on which languages to use first had not yet been taken. 

“You should therefore not take offence if your language is not among the first to be considered as it will be a step by step process,” he said.

Dr Masisi said that the move was informed by scientific research indicating that learners grasped concepts better and faster when taught in their mother tongue.

It was also informed by the need to treat all languages and tribes equally without any discrimination, the President said.

He said the recognition of  Setswana and English as national and official languages should not mean that other languages were sidelined or looked down upon. 

"The intention is to knit a solid nation where people are treated and viewed equally no matter their tribal line, language or physical appearance," he said.

Dr Masisi also called for political tolerance as espoused by the constitution saying failure to accept vox populi was a recipe for conflict.

On another issue, the President said as head of state, he was responsible for protecting  citizen’s lives against internal and external challenges, hence his efforts to source COVID 19 vaccines. 

He therefore appealed to Batswana to come for vaccination in large numbers as failure to do so would undo all efforts against the pandemic. Ends