06 Aug 2024

His Excellency the President Dr Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi has vowed to give bogosi institution the respect it deserves.

Moreover, Dr Masisi said government would work in unity with Bogosi to build a united nation, where people worked together and view one another as equals. He said the desire was to be seen as a united people who respected traditional leaders.

“We are working together to safeguard peace and we must look at each other as equals. We must respect the rule of law and work together as different organs for democracy and peace,” he said.

President Masisi  was speaking during a meeting with Chairperson of Ntlo ya Dikgosi, Kgosi Puso of Batlokwa, at The Office of the President yesterday, where the latter presented a report from Ntlo ya Dikgosi.

President Masisi said government would give Ntlo ya Dikgosi feedback and applauded dikgosi for promoting the culture of consultation, which he described as the foundation and guide for informed decision-making. He said such a practice was worth sharing with other nations for them to nurture democracy and peace.

He said his presidency was founded on consultation, involving morafe through dikgosi, thereby assuring Kgosi Puso that such an arrangement would continue.

President Masisi said following a joint consultation meeting of the Cabinet and dikgosi, which was held at Manong Game Lodge to share the development agenda, dikgosi continued to engage with the people through different fora, sharing government’s envisaged development road map.

He said Ntlo ya Dikgosi was an advisory arm of government and therefore it was important to promote the diverse cultures of Batswana at the forefront of which bogosi must be, encouraging the people to be proud of being Batswana though with diverse traditions. Dr Masisi also said the nation should appreciate the abundance of science and technology, which must be unearthed and used to drive the country’s economy.

He said countries that were doing well in terms of technological advancement and economic growth, had their development agenda guided by culture. 

In his address, Kgosi Puso observed that members of Ntlo ya Dikgosi and dikgosi in general continued to be part and parcel of the development agenda and governance by sitting in various committees such as the Rural Development Council and the Health Promotion Council.

Kgosi Puso said after the dissolution of Parliament, the business of the fourth Ntlo ya Dikgosi would also be concluded.

Kgosi Puso applauded government for engaging dikgosi in the consultations that were part of the Constitution review, adding that dikgosi were equally applauding President Masisi for his guidance and leadership during his tenure.

Therefore, he said dikgosi were determined to adopt a changed mindset and contribute to growing and diversifying the rural and national economy. “We are part of the transformation agenda,” he said.

Among others things, Kgosi Puso said the report was focused on what Ntlo ya Dikgosi had been doing in the past five years. 

He said some of the proposed changes at Ntlo ya Dikgosi was to increase tenure of office of chairperson and deputy from one year to two and a half years as well as clarifying their roles.

Kgosi Puso said among the proposed amendments to the running of Ntlo ya Dikgosi was to have a provision to allow the President of the country to address the house on national and development issues.

He has also revealed that the current rules of Ntlo ya Dikgosi did not allow for the use of technology in conducting proceedings of the house even though technology was important to ease proceedings. Ends