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Botswana: New Era Dawns
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Mmegi/The Reporter (Gaborone)
EDITORIAL
31 March 2008
Posted to the web 31 March 2008
Tomorrow marks a very important day in the history of this country. A fourth president will be sworn in. What is good about this transition is that it is smooth as the others that came before it. Vice President Ian Khama will be taking over from Festus Mogae whose term ends today. Mogae had taken over from Sir Ketumile Masire in 1998.
The Botswana Constitution gives mandatory two- presidential terms. Both previous presidents have adhered to this constitutional requirement. There has never been a time when anyone of them agitated for an extension of the term in office, as has been the case in some other African states. This has won Botswana accolades from the international community.
We want to take this time to wish Mogae farewell as he retires from the presidency. He has been a worthwhile ambassador for this country. He leaves a legacy behind. The fight against the HIV/AIDS scourge will go down in history as the one challenge that Mogae stood up to and won it. He did all to help citizens fight the dreaded killer disease.
It has been a hectic 10 years and Mogae deserves a rest. Of course he should not be lost to this country. We hope that he will be engaged as much as Sir Ketumile is. This gives our country a good name on the international stage. We believe that Mogae did his best for this country and whatever he has failed to achieve should be carried forward by his successor. A man cannot achieve all that he has set for himself in his lifetime.
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As Mogae steps down, we welcome Ian Khama to the hot seat. This nation is waiting with bated breath to see what Sir Seretse Khama's son has to offer. There is a perception about Khama even before he takes over the reins of power. It is up to him to show his true colours. His predecessors have set good precedents and we don't expect him to be any different. Welcome Mr President, everyone expects you to do only what is best for the country and its people. As a developing nation, Botswana still faces many challenges and we hope you will stand up to these challenges so Batswana could achieve United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and Vision 2016 and beyond.
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