07 Oct 2024

President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi has expressed gratitude to the United States of America for its longstanding belief in Botswana, dating back to a time when many nations considered the country a ‘charity case.’   

President Masisi said this during a courtesy call yesterday by Dr John Nkengasong, Ambassador-at-large and the US Global AIDS coordinator and senior bureau for Global Health Security and Diplomacy.

He said that the US believed in Botswana’s policies and ability to develop itself when many saw the country as an outcast that could not even feed its people. “We had a budget of just about 12 million pounds, which was not enough to even cover our recurrent budget, so we had to rely on additional aid from outside, but the Americans, far as you were, were convinced about the viability of this state,” he said.

The President emphasised the unique nature of the friendship between Botswana and US, noting that it developed free from colonial guilt, as the US never colonised Botswana.

He advocated for further recognition of the partnership, which was underpinned by Botswana’s commitment to multi-racialism and multi-party democracy.

President Masisi also indicated the need to pronounce the relationship more as many seemed to underestimate it, and that such faith in Botswana’s policies and ability to develop itself was anchored on multi-racialism and multi-party democracy.

President Masisi said that the belief in Botswana by the US even throughout the era and height of HIV and AIDS was immense.

“So we want to thank you profoundly for coming to our aid at our most perilous time when we were a basket case, and much later on when we were ravaged by HIV and AIDS. We also appreciate former President, Dr Festus Mogae for his outstanding leadership and for rising a clarion call during the difficult era of the pandemic,” he said.

He said that it was the Americans through their institutions under former President George Bush which saved Botswana from possible total extinction. “It is also an expression of the brilliance of your technology, science and capacity which helped pronounce more the positive impact,” he said.

President Masisi also pleaded with the US to realign its aid with Botswana’s planning period as short term renewals were not that workable. President Masisi also said that Botswana remained a loyal, sincere and friendly partner on foreign policy orientation as well as being independent.

“Such independence is why we were able to recently make a public calling for the removal of sanctions against Zimbabwe as we believe that there are other ways in which issues in Zimbabwe could be influenced. As Zimbabwe’s neighbour such sanctions also inadvertently hurt us in a way, especially social and human security wise,” he said.

For his part, Dr Nkengasong He commended Botswana for being one of the first countries to achieve the 95-95-95 targets in the battle against HIV and AIDS and praised its progress as a remarkable achievement of leadership, highlighting the contributions of former President Dr Mogae.

Additionally, Dr Nkengasong noted Botswana’s success in meeting the Abuja Declaration targets, positioning it among a select group of African nations that had made significant strides in combating HIVand AIDS. ENDS