15 Feb 2025

In line with putting the new administration’s transformation agenda in motion, government remains committed to dismantling barriers and fostering an inclusive environment where ordinary citizens can actively participate and thrive in different industries.

Speaking during a kgotla meeting on Thursday in Gaborone Bonnington South, Acting President Mr Ndaba Gaolathe reaffirmed government’s deep commitment to enhancing consultation with stakeholders in recognition of meaningful dialogue and collaborations for effective policy-making.

“We are a government built on consultation and this is our government, all of us. We must build our nation together, in our own way. We must build our economy together, in our own way. We must rise and fall together,” he said.

Mr Gaolathe said the current government was keen on transforming the country to one of the best managed states in the continent and a paragon of unity, fairness and prosperity, thus government had realised that it could not succeed alone and a lot rested on frequent consultations with the nation and forging partnerships with the private sector.

“We have begun to pounder on the ideal type of partner for the new Botswana and we have so far identified certain characteristics that identify an ideal partner for a new Botswana. We are first looking for partners that would be in for a long time and not in for quick cash, and we are making remarkable progress in identifying such partner,” he said.

Mr Gaolathe indicated that government was also looking for a partner with ‘very deep pockets’ and financial resources as well as high impact ideas.

He said it was of high priority in government’s agenda to ensure value for every Pula allocated to State Owned Enterprises, by transforming them into high performance organisations that fully deliver on their mandates.

“We intend to pay delicate and special attention to our SOEs with a view to bring out the best in them, and to use them as a lever to significantly reduce costs of doing business in the new Botswana. We are also determined to transform our SOEs into engines of wealth creation for the larger population by reconfiguring and up-scaling some of them into becoming truly global players,” he said.

Mr Gaolathe noted that the new government was determined to stabilise the Botswana Meat Commission (BMC), by deploying strong management and securing investment partnerships that would revitalise the commission to become a global player.

This, he said would allow the BMC to operate competitively in the new meat industry ecosystem and create a new market for the farmers.

The country, he said had regressed on many fronts including health and education outcomes, adding that corruption had become endemic.

He thus stated that the nation had a collective responsibility to not only chart a course for the nation’s economic recovery but to also restore the trust and faith on government.

“Like I mentioned, the recent budget speech, the New Botswana is determined to become the best managed country, a paragon of unity, fairness and prosperity on the African continent.

He indicated that a key concern coming out of the budget was lack of implementation which called for the workforce to remain steadfast in ensuring that the implementation of projects was top priority.

Mr Gaolathe thus pleaded with the country’s workforce to be patriotic and be mindful that there were driving forces behind the country’s economic growth. ENDS