08 Feb 2015

President Lieutenant General Seretse Khama Ian Khama has informed delegates at a Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) youth wing congress held in Masunga on Friday February 6 that government remains committed to addressing issues concerning the youth in Botswana.

This, he said was being done with the view to making the youth part and parcel of the country’ socio-economic processes.

Lt Gen. Khama pointed out that the BDP-led government was keen on ensuring that every aspect of the country’s economy had a fair representation of Batswana youth.

He said it was for this reason that government had over the years put in place various programmes and mechanisms aimed at supporting the youth to enable them to play a meaningful role in the country’ socio-economic processes.

Against this backdrop, I wish to urge all of you to take advantage of these programmes, and not only take them up yourselves but to also sell them to the rest of Batswana, and very importantly for you to suggest what more we should be doing for youth in this country,” he said.

President Khama said the BDP youth were ambassadors of the ruling party and as such “the party’s integrity should be paramount at all times, lest we become our own worst enemy.”

He underscored the need to introspect on what the challenges were during the last elections, to identify the gaps as well as to devise strategies that would help the party to among others reassure Batswana that the BDP is best-placed to move Botswana forward.

The President also expressed concern over the tendency by some BDP members, including the youth, to write tarnishing messages about the party on social media.

He said though social media could be used positively to promote the party, it was sad that some people used it for the wrong reasons.

He implored party members to use party structures to have their grievances addressed instead of taking to social platforms to air their queries.

With regard to the elections for the youth wing leadership positions, Lt Gen. Khama cautioned the delegates against implored the delegates to ensure that the congress became testimony to all that the party accepted the diversity that existed within it, and that it was the same diversity that made the party stronger.

For his part, the BDP secretary general, Mr Mpho Balopi called for team spirit to prevail in the party ranks, something he said would make it easier for it the party to forge ahead into the future.

For his part, the youth wing chairperson Mr Andy Boatile thanked the BDP for the support they gave his committee during its tenure of office.

He said when they were elected into office one of their priorities was to ensure that the party youth were empowered both politically and economically. ENDS