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01 May 2023

President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi’s ongoing state visit to Switzerland saw him  touring Appenzell in the European country’s eastern part Sunday where he witnessed a close version of the kgotla system in session.

Held once a year on the last Sunday of April,  the assembly or Landsgemeinde entails the community gathering to discuss, hear reports and even vote on issues of regional interest.

President Masisi is the first African head of state to ever visit Appenzell and experience the Landsgemeinde.

Dr Masisi, together with his Swiss counterpart Mr Alain Berset, expressed great optimism about similarities between Botswana and Switzerland and the possibility of cultural cooperation between their countries.

The President also toured a smart dairy farm producing three million kilogrammes of milk annually.

Dr Masisi’s visit to Appenzell also took him to the local museum displaying paintings, sculptures and other artifacts that showed the journey, culture and history of Appenzell.

His other engagements in Switzerland will include a roundtable discussion on democracy at the University of Fribourg.

The President is in Switzerland on a reciprocal state visit as  following Mr Berset’s February three-day state visit to Botswana during which the two heads of state explored ways of strengthening bilateral relations between their countries.

President Berset visited Tlokweng where he was shown how Botswana kgotla system played a critical role in advancing democracy. ENDS