09 Sep 2024

Though Botswana has made inroads in fighting HIV and AIDS, citizens should not drop their guard as doing so can result in the virus flaring up again.

Guest speaker at the launch of the September Month of Prayer held in Jwaneng on Sunday, Mr Tony Buru said the achievements made so far in reversing the inroads that the pandemic had made in society were not a reason for Batswana to rest on their laurels in the belief that the war had been won.

Mr Buru, the Executive Director of Makgabaneng, said HIV and AIDS was still a problem, adding that the upward swing of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) had further compounded the country’s disease burden. 

He therefore, appealed to the nation to remain resolute in fighting this dual scourge.

Mr Buru also appealed for concerted efforts in addressing Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and road traffic accidents, saying these also continued to disrupt people’s lives, at times cutting lives short. 

He asked the church to pray for peaceful elections as the country would be heading to the polls on October 30.

He implored the church body to understand that prayer alone was not sufficient to address the world’s problems, but that it was rather a catalyst to action.

Jwaneng District Commissioner, Mr Gabriel Tsuaneng said as the nation converged in prayer against HIV and AIDS, it should also pray for different emerging issues, among which he cited the holding of peaceful elections.

Mr Tsuaneng said with Botswana renowned the world over for conducting peaceful, free, fair and transparent elections, it was only right that all sections of society did the needful to ensure that that status quo was maintained.

Speaking to the theme of this year’s prayers: Developing a Transformative Mindset, a member of the clergy Pastor Paul Matthys said the theme was a call for Batswana to lead impactful lives.

Describing the mindset as a powerful tool that could steer one to greatness, he urged those in attendance to endeavour to find their life purpose and to shun to living for mere existence. 

Pastor Matthys said a transformative mindset carried the potential to both foster and influence change.

Jwaneng mayor, Ms Olga Ditsie said each year, the September prayers revived in the town’s residents the spirit of unity, and promoted their sense of kinship. She called on government to allocate churches land so that they could construct dignified places of worship.

She said while Jwaneng had a church enclave where churches had been allocated land, the lack of land servicing in the area remained a constraint that made it difficult for churches to develop their land.

Regarding the impending elections, Ms Ditsie urged believers to exercise their constitutional right by partaking in next month’s polls. ENDS