President Masisi calls for a united Botswana to ramp up the country socio-economic development
Gaborone, Botswana (PANA) - The President of Botswana, Dr. Mokgweetsi Masisi, who started his term as the 5th President of the country after winning the 2019 general elections, has urged all political parties and the nation to work towards a stable socio-economic development.
Speaking at his Presidential inauguration in Gaborone on Friday, 1 Nov 2019, he said the day marks an important day in the path of development of Botswana’s democracy.
“It is an occasion that symbolises the wishes of the majority regarding the direction that the nation should take. It is a reminder of what our ideals are as a democratic state,” he said.
He said this is essentially because the nation can never fully appreciate the democracy and the peace that the country continues to enjoy, nor the unity it is known for globally until the essence of what defines the nation has been put to a test.
“I want to commend the leaders of political parties, party candidates, and independent candidates as well as the electorate themselves for taking part in the general elections. Former President Dr. Mogae once said, 'In doing so, they have enriched our democracy, sharpened the contest, enhanced public debates on national issues and enabled the electorates to make informed choices.'
"I can assure you that we are united in our political commitment to take this country to greater heights by ensuring that there is inclusive socio-economic development. We stand united because of the aspirations we have as a people to make this country a better place for all of us to live in,” said the President.
He said as the nation looks into the future with optimism, only a Motswana (singular: citizen of Botswana) can muster, the nation must hold firmly to its resolve to transform the economy from over reliance on natural resource wealth to increasingly rely mainly on knowledge capital and thus yielding a knowledge based economy.
After being sworn in by Chief Justice Terence Rannowane, President Masisi thanked the nation for trusting him as the leader of the country.
“I am honored to express my profound gratitude to the people of Botswana for having performed their national duty by exercising their constitutional right to elect the political leadership of their choice. I am indeed delighted and humbled by the demonstration of trust bestowed upon me and my Government by Batswana,” he said.
He said he wanted to reiterate his determination to devote his time and energy to improve the lives of the citizens who are yearning for the social and economic transformation of the country.
“I wish to emphasise here that Batswana (citizens of Botswana) should always remain at the epicenter of our development agenda,“ he said.
He said the National Transformation Strategy that the government is working on will be a reference document that will guide the implementation of the country’s National Vision 2036, which espouses Prosperity for All Batswana.
“In this regard, the recently-appointed National Transformation Strategy Team will lay out the fundamental changes needed in policy, institutions and mindset to transform Botswana,” he said.
Masisi said when he made the decision to run for the highest office of the land, his priorities were focused on three key areas that need to be addressed in order to turn the country’s fortunes around.
The key areas are creating jobs for the people, particularly the youth, improving service delivery both in the public and private sectors, as well as strengthening governance structures.
As per the constitution of the country, President Masisi’s reign will be for five years when in 2024, the general elections will be held and he is allowed another five-year term if he is elected into power again.
-0- PANA MS/VAO 1Nov2019
