31 Jul 2024

As the Setswana musical rhythm, culinary fare and backdrop of the National Museum kgotla courtyard gave visiting Bahamian Governor General Dame Cynthia Alexandria Pratt  and her delegation a sample of Botswana’s warm welcome on Tuesday night, the expression of stronger bond of ties between the two nations was laid bare. 

Speaking during the state banquet he hosted in honour of the visiting Governor General, President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi expressed how the two countries were drawing towards a mutually beneficial cooperation. 

“Just this year alone, there have been a number of high level exchanges between our two countries in various sectors. These were all geared towards further exploring the myriad avenues for cooperation with urgency,” Dr Masisi said. 

President Masisi said the interactions have led to increased cooperation in the education sector, particularly between institutions of higher learning in the two countries.

“My government has offered 10 postgraduate scholarships to Bahamian students in the fields of natural resources and engineering, at the University of Botswana and the Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources respectively, a calculated investment,” he said. 

The President added that he envisioned such a gesture to pave the way for further collaboration in fields such as finance, trade and investment, youth and sports, as well as the combating of crime and corruption. 

Noting that Botswana and The Bahamas have strong bonds of friendship anchored on the shared values of democracy, respect for the rule of law and ‘the sacrosanct tenets of the United Nations Charter,’ President Masisi said the eagerness to cultivate this relationship had been expressed most profoundly over the past year. 

He recalled his visit to The Bahamas last year September, and that the Governor General’s visit comes just five months hot on the heels of the March 2024 state visit of The Bahamian Prime Minister, Mr Philip Davis.

“I also had the sheer pleasure of interacting again with my esteemed friend Prime Minister Davis during the Global Citizen NOW Summit in New York, United States of America. We graciously shared the stage, and used the occasion to reiterate our commitments towards enhancing the relations between our countries,” Dr Masisi said. 

He further noted that Botswana sought to leverage on The Bahamas experience with a world class and economically successful tourism industry, and noted that the two states were also acting on interventions towards the mitigation of climate change. 

For her part, Ms Pratt echoed the sentiments that Botswana and The Bahamas were bound together by shared values including cultural identity.

 “The kgotla with its rich history reminds of the values that bind us together, such as respect and cooperation. Bahamians also would have meetings in canoes, and the baskets here in Botswana remind me of those woven in the largest island in The Bahamas. Although our countries are separated by geographical distance, our shared values transcend boundaries,” Ms Pratt said. 

She expressed the wish that other Bahamians would visit Botswana, adding that her delegation was ‘deeply moved by the hospitality of the President, First Lady and people of Botswana.’

 Located in the northwestern part of the Caribbean, north east of Cuba and just 80km south east of the state of Florida, USA, The Bahamas has the third largest Gross Domestic Product in the Americas after the USA and Canada. 

The country has the strongest economy among the Caribbean island nation states, largely based on tourism and offshore finance. 

When The Bahamas gained independence from United Kingdom in 1973, the country kept the British crown as their monarchy, and developed a system where a democratically elected Prime Minister heads the government, working with a politically neutral Governor General appointed by the monarch, currently King Charles III, on the advice of the Prime Minister. 

Ms Pratt has been the Governor General since September 2022, and her role includes giving royal assent to legislation passed by Parliament, the appointment of judges and ambassadors as well as issuing writs for elections, bestowing national honours and representing The Bahamas interests abroad in official visits. Ends