26 Jan 2014

President Lt Gen. Seretse Khama Ian Khama’s leading role in community service days is a way of showing interest in improving individuals’ lives.

The Minister for Presidential Affairs and Public Administration, Mr Mokgweetsi Masisi, said this when opening Office of the President's (OP) first community service day for 2014 at Bowasetlo Recreational Park in Gaborone West’s Phase 2.

The park, which is under Gaborone City Council, is used for recreational and community sporting purposes. Mr Masisi said community service days were set aside for the Office of the President to show the need to uplift the living standards of individuals and the community.

He said such activities were geared towards ensuring that Batswana remained a self-reliant community. President Khama was joined by cabinet ministers, community leaders and members of the community to upgrade Bowasetlo Recreational Park.

Gaborone city clerk, Mr Mpho Mathe, said for President Khama and his cabinet to have shown interest in community projects, especially those that targeted the youth, was a milestone for the council.

He said open spaces belonged to the city council and it was therefore commendable for President Khama and his cabinet to refurbish the one in Phase 2. He said the refurbishment was a way of showing the community the need to use the recreational parks.

He called on the private sector and other stakeholders to help develop recreational parks so that they could become attractive. “This will also be a way of attracting people, especially the youth to use these spaces and help them deviate from acts of delinquency and social ills,” he said.

When left unattended, Mr Mathe said, the parks could become havens for criminals. He said it was important for open spaces to be kept clean, updated and be user friendly at all times.

President Khama also used the time spent at the park to give out food hampers to organisations taking care of people living with disabilities. He gave out the hampers to the Tlokweng SOS, Dream Centre in Gaborone, Rankoromane Camphill in Otse and Adopt a Person Home Based Care, Mochudi’s Resource Centre, Motswedi Rehabilitation Centre and Pudulogong Rehabilitation Centre.  ENDS