08 Oct 2024

According the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) the opportunity to govern for a further five years will ensure that ongoing efforts to push for citizen economic empowerment continue undisturbed.

President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi said at the launch of Kanye West parliamentary candidate, Dr Lemogang Kwape on Sunday that the BDP government continued to refine its strategies aimed at enhancing the quality of life of citizens hence it deserved another chance at governance.

Dr Masisi said the incessant flow of empowerment programmes at disposal for Batswana were evidence of the unwavering commitment of government to put Botswana’s economy into the hands of citizens, thereby guaranteeing both their economic empowerment at household level and their active contribution to the vibrancy of the country’s economy.

He urged Batswana to make full use of programmes such as Temo Letlotlo and Thuo Letlotlo and the newly unveiled Maja-A-Ikgorosa, saying the agricultural empowerment initiatives, together with others crafted to support citizen involvement in other sectors of the economy were a ladder that was well-placed to hoist Batswana to greatness.

“In the past five years, the BDP achieved a lot and it is on the basis of these achievements that we seek another mandate,” President Masisi said, citing completed and ongoing infrastructure development projects among the successes for which the party deserved commendation.

“If you vote us back into office, we will bring yet another initiative; one that will encourage you to establish cottage industries in your ploughing fields,” he said.

The initiative he said, would allow people to connect their agricultural land parcels to the national power grid for purposes of running light industries, especially since it had been made permissible for such land portions to be used for multiple uses.

Dr Masisi also appealed to the youth particularly those plying their trade in the creative industry to fully explore opportunities within the sector, and assured them that government was ready to facilitate them to draw the most out of their talents.

Regarding misgivings by some within society with respect to the use of identity cards in lieu of passports to travel between Botswana and Namibia, President Masisi urged Batswana to understand that the move was meant to foster unity among the people of the two countries and to also enhance trade.

As he appealed for calm as well as a better understanding of the arrangement, he said efforts were ongoing to extend the dispensation to other nations among them Zimbabwe and South Africa.

He said there was no reason for Batswana to feel that their integrity as a people was being threatened as the use of identity cards for travel did not mean that laws governing travel between countries were no longer in force.

Electoral board chairperson, Mr Peter Siele pleaded with Kanye West voters to send Dr Kwape to Parliament, describing him as a hardworking representative who has already proven his mettle.

As for the BDP, Mr Siele said it was the only one capable of continuously transforming the lives of Batswana as it had in place tried and tested policies and strategies geared towards improving the life of the citizens.

Deputy speaker of the National Assembly Mr Pono Moatlhodi said the opposition parties were a threat to the peace that Botswana was known for hence they should be denied the opportunity to govern.

Pleading for votes for Dr Kwape and the 13 council candidates, he said them winning would embolden the BDP government, which he said was hard at work carving a better future for its people.

Among the strategies that government was presently driving for which it should be allowed to continue to rule, he cited efforts aimed at creating an export-led economy characterised by a lower volume of imports.

Mr Moatlhodi also hailed government for its women empowerment strategy, which he said President Masisi pushed by among others posting women to high positions of responsibility in the public service.

In his acceptance speech, Dr Kwape said he was the rightful candidate to represent the constituency in Parliament as he had already spearheaded the implementation of several developments in the area as Member of Parliament in the past five years.

He said with the sound policies and programmes of the BDP, he was confident that the constituency would receive more developments in the coming five years. ENDS