23 Oct 2024

Giving the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) numbers that it requires to set up a government, is a sure way of protecting Botswana’s peace and stability and safeguarding the country’s legacy of good governance.

President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi said this in Hukuntsi on Monday at the launch of BDP parliamentary candidate for Kgalagadi North, Mr Moatlhodi Mahupu.

He said giving his party the majority of seats in the National Assembly would allow it to deliver on the good it had for Batswana without much impediment.

Dr Masisi cautioned voters against entertaining the idea of a compromise government, but instead encouraged them to set the BDP apart from its co-contenders by giving it a clear majority on the basis of the many achievements it had already attained as a ruling party.

“Neelang phathi ya ga Domkrag dipalo. Se tlhopheng puso e e tlhakatlhakaneng ka gore seo se ka re utswela kagiso, ledula le thokgamo,” he said, warning how setting up a government of compromise between political parties would dilute Botswana’s legacy as a peaceful, stable and progressive nation.

Describing other political parties as enemies of all that was good, Dr Masisi said if Batswana wanted to keep their dignity intact, they should shun them and deny them the opportunity to rule the country.

He said opposition parties were shortsighted, saying giving them the mandate to govern would deal a blow to the country’s credit ratings due to their potentially reckless handling of the national coffers.

“The opposition is a threat to Botswana’s economy. With the way they say they will be dishing out money, there is no way the country’s credit ratings will not be affected,” he said.

Dr Masisi said the other parties’ envisaged increase in allowances such as the Old Age Pension, living allowance for tertiary students, and the minimum wage as well as the introduction of benefits like the unemployment benefits would quickly drain out the national coffers, resulting in a budget that was run on deficit.

Reverting to what a BDP-led government would do for the Kgalagadi North constituency, and by extension the entire Kgalagadi region if voted back into power, President Masisi said his government would introduce fish farming to the area, that being a way of economically empowering residents and also helping fight malnutrition especially in children.

He said despite the area being primarily desert, his government would channel all the resources necessary to make it a chief producer of quality fish through its agricultural strategies aimed at encouraging citizens to take up fish farming as a business.

Dr Masisi stated also that plans were advanced to make Zutshwa a settlement of the future, explaining that part of the process entailed the village’s electrification, which had been made possible through the construction of a solar power station there.

Turning to Mr Mahupu and his team of 12 council candidates, President Masisi urged them to keep their campaign focused and clean.

He encouraged them to maintain respect for self, for the party and for the people, observing that by so doing they would plug up all possibilities of bringing the party’s name into disrepute.

He also appealed to them to be broad-minded in exploring the means through which they could relay the BDP message, citing social media as one vehicle that, if used correctly could aid their campaign.

Former area Member of Parliament, Ms Talita Monnakgotla equally called on people of Kgalagadi North and all Batswana to ignore the rest of the political parties and vote for the BDP in the October 30 national polls.

She said only BDP carried for the nation a future pregnant with endless possibilities, whereas other parties would throw the country into disarray as a result of them being rocked by instability.

Promising President Masisi a win, Mr Mahupu said him and his team of council candidates had worked hard to win over the hearts of the people of Kgalagadi North, hence they were confident that the BDP would emerge victorious. ENDS