16 Oct 2024

The President, Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi has attributed Botswana’s reputation as one of the most stable democracies in Africa to the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP)’s deep-seated respect for democratic processes.

Launching the party’s parliamentary candidate for Lobatse Mr Pelotshweu Motlogelwa on Monday, Dr Masisi said the BDP’s respect for human rights and the depth with which it valued the existence of a peaceful society, had earned Botswana the reputation of being among the most respected democracies in the world.

“The BDP is simply a cut above the rest. Do not vote for the opposition. Do not vote for independent candidates,” he said.

He cautioned the electorate that opposition candidates and the independent ones did not have the interests of Batswana at heart.

“Opposition parties are self-seeking and are casual about your lives. They promised Batswana high wages, not taking into account how such wages will push inflation upwards,” he said, as he noted that once inflation shot upwards, life would become unbearable for citizens.

Describing his party as progressive, he said it was the only one worthy of being given another chance at governance, especially as it had successfully discharged its mandate in the past.

Pleading for votes on behalf of Mr Motlogelwa, President Masisi said electing him into office would give the party the numbers it required to assume state power, thereby allowing for an uninterrupted good governance that Batswana have enjoyed since independence.

In terms of empowering its people, the President said the BDP-led government was doing a lot to give Batswana control of their economy, citing several economic empowerment programmes that he had crafted to achieve that objective.

He said initiatives such as Chema Chema and Maja-A-Ikgorosa were all intended to ensure active citizen participation in the economic activities of the country.

Dr Masisi said the government was driving a mandate to have the nation embrace innovation as a vehicle for national transformation on many fronts.

For the process to go full circle, it was necessary that the BDP was granted another opportunity to rule.

He said it was encouraging that the nation was warming up to calls to infuse innovation and technology into activities of their daily lives.

He said Batswana youth had already built important online applications such as Modisa App, and were also manufacturing electronic gadgets like laptops.

President Masisi said the recent unveiling of a locally assembled electric vehicle was another sign that the country was moving in the right direction in terms of innovation and technological advancement.

Dr Lemogang Kwape, the deputy secretary general of the BDP, said the party was highly responsive to the needs of Batswana hence it should be allowed another opportunity to govern.

Dr Kwape commended President Masisi, saying he had charted a solid path for the country and was working hard to ensure that Botswana enjoyed cordial relations with the international community.

He said it was also President Masisi’s desire to steer Botswana towards self-sufficiency in food. He also said efforts to make the country a destination of choice for key international conferences were beginning to pay off, and he hailed Dr Masisi for his unrelenting efforts to make that possible.

A BDP member Mr Elias Rantleru, said in voting for the party, Batswana would have helped protect Botswana’s democracy and peace.

Mr Rantleru said the BDP should be voted into office so that citizens could continue to enjoy President Masisi’s quality leadership.

He said the free electricity connection that Batswana were enjoying and the job opportunities that the people of Lobatse would have once the Lobatse Leather Park was opened, were examples of the good that Dr Masisi’s leadership had brought about for citizens.

“Dr Masisi is a fearless leader who is unflinching in his quest to guarantee the rights of citizens,” he said.

For his part, Mr Motlogelwa expressed confidence that he would, together with the 12 council candidates, win Lobatse for the BDP.

He said he was the right candidate to revolutionise the Lobatse economic landscape as he possessed in-depth knowledge and experience in different sectors of the economy, including mining and the beef services sub-sector. ENDS