President Masisi Reflects On His Top 15 Milestones Since Assuming Office

President Masisi Reflects On His Top 15 Milestones Since Assuming Office four years ago in a detail post that read;

Dumelang Batswana. Today marks four years since I assumed this humbling and noble role of President of the Republic of Botswana.I look back at the four years with pride because of the achievements we have made:

𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐨𝐭𝐬𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐚’𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠

One of the things I wanted to achieve was to re-energise the Botswana brand by improving our relations with other countries. I can confidently say we have reclaimed our position in the brotherhood of nations. Our voice and presence are now held in high esteem. Botswana successfully led the SADC Organ on Politics Defence and Security Cooperation and played a critical role in resolving some disputes in the region such as the border dispute between the DRC and Zambia including the deployment of troops to our sister nation Mozambique to combat terrorism.

𝐄𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐭

The Government amended the Transfer Duty Act to allow exemption of first-time homebuyers from paying transfer duty. I would like to urge aspiring first homebuyers to take advantage of the relaxation of this law to acquire property. We also amended the Act to allow free transfer of property from one spouse to another, especially after the passing on of one spouse.

𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

Through the Reset Agenda, we have embarked on Digitisation and Smart Botswana is a testimony of our success. There is no doubt that the digitisation of services will enable us to have a much more responsive economy. Efficiencies achieved by CIPA in the registration of companies and related services through digital means is another case in point.

𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬

Married couples can now individually apply for land unlike in the past when one spouse was allocated land the other could not do so.You can now use masimo for agro-tourism purposes. I am pleased to note that Batswana have taken advantage of this in a significant way by turning part of their masimo into events gardens to generate revenue. A recent development by the Government is to allow owners of masimo to keep a certain number of game through a programme under the Ministry of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism where Government gives out some animals to qualifying farmers as a start-up. Please take advantage of the scheme.

𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧

The Government takes the empowerment of women seriously. Competent and qualified women leaders now occupy the positions of Permanent Secretary to the President and Deputy Permanent Secretary to the President. Eight ( out of 18 Permanent Secretaries are women. All three Presidency Ministries are led by women. For the first time in Botswana’s history, the Commissioner of Prisons is a woman.

𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭

Establishment of the National Arts Council to coordinate the creative industry because Government views it as one of the key drivers of the economy, including employment. The budget for State Theatre has been approved and further developments on the implementation will be announced in due course.We sent about 30 young people to HB Academy in Antwerp, Belgium, which is a state-of-the-art training for diamond specialists and jewellers, to learn more about diamonds and their value chain. Government intends to develop Batswana diamantaires.Some in Information Technology have been attached to the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) one of the principal Agencies of the United National Agency to further their skills. Botswana is the current President of ECOSOC.The Forbes Under 30 will be hosted in Botswana this month making history as this will be first time this prestigious event is held in Africa. Remember we committed to make Botswana an international events and conference hub.

𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬

Another of Government’s successful initiatives is the Village Electrification Project through which more than 90% of gazetted villages have so far been electrified surpassing the 80% target announced during the 2020 State of the Nation Address. The electrification of our villagers has contributed immensely to the quality of life of our people because many have set up SMME businesses in their homes, children in villages are now able to study easily including having access to the internet in some schools and homes.The Mawama Power Grid opened early last year to power the Okavango, Gantsi, and Ngami areas which used to get power from Zimbabwe and Namibia. To accelerate further access to electricity, the Government has issued licences to independent power producers for solar energy. One of them launched in Bobonong last week.

𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫

Access to clean water has also been one of our primary objectives and access has been made in this regard.• The Masama Water Project which improved water access in the Greater Gaborone areas was completed on time, successfully, and on budget.• The Gamononyane-Molepolole water pipeline construction is ongoing which will improve water access in Molepolole, Lentsweletau, Metsimotlhabe, Thebephatshwa, and surrounding villages.• The Lobatse Water Masterplan project to improve water supply to areas along the Lobatse-Gaborone corridor is also on course.• The Tutume water infrastructure project is improving access to the Ntimbale Dam neighbouring villages. A significant number of villages in the Tati District no longer have water challenges.

𝐄𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐜 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬

The Selibe Phikwe Citrus Project has so far created employment for over 1000 people which is critical for our efforts to revitalise the economy in the SPEDU region. The project is also imparting key horticultural skills to our people so that in the future they may also start their own ventures.Regarding the Khoemacau Copper mine near Maun, Government invested P2.5b to reticulate electricity to the mine as part of the commitment to partner with the private sector for development. The spinoff of the reticulation of electricity to the area is that it will make it easy for Government to supply power to villages and farms in that part of the country further helping to boost the quality of life and economic production.This week on 28 March 2022, NantBotswana (Pty) Ltd established a drug manufacturing facility in Botswana that is expected to be operational late this year. The facility will boost our country’s reputation, already established by the Botswana Vaccine Institute, in vaccine manufacturing this time for use by humans. NantBotswana will also create jobs for our people and sharpen the skills of our scientists.A COVID 19 vaccine, Pula Corbevax, developed in Texas, has been approved for use in Botswana. It will be produced in Botswana and sold to the African continent.

𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐇𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞

The Government is serious about making the country self-sufficient in many areas, especially food production. We recently launched the Horticultural Scheme where Government pays 50% for agricultural initiatives. Please contact Agricultural Extension Officers (Balemisi) in your areas for assistance.The limiting of importation of certain agricultural products is intended to complement initiatives such as the one above and to encourage you to go into agricultural production in a significant way.

𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐜𝐤

Botswana has secured a market for small stock in Saudi Arabia and Norway. The export will commence as soon as administrative matters between Botswana and the new markets have been addressed.

𝐅𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐎𝐕𝐈𝐃-𝟏𝟗

Botswana has been commended globally for putting in place effective public health measures to save the vast majority of the population from COVID 19 including securing more than enough vaccines. The nation must continue to play its part by adhering to measures against contracting COVID-19, taking vaccines including booster shots where applicable.

𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐱𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬

The Government enacted a sexual offences register to keep track of offenders and deter them from continuing to commit such offences.We have set up special courts to deal timeously with sexual offence related cases which remain one of the scourges of our society.

𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

The Constitutional Review Commission of Inquiry is ongoing. It is the first step towards the Constitutional Review exercise that we committed to undertake. Please continue to participate in the commendable numbers we are witnessing. Your Government is continuing with efforts to fulfil other commitments it made to you. This is what my Cabinet and I are focused on. I am thankful for your support. Tlholang ka PULA!