1 April 2008
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Speech by His Excellency FESTUS G. MOGAE, President of the Republic of Botswana and also President of the Botswana Democratic Party, at the national council of the Botswana Democratic Party
Madomi a a rategang, I welcome you to this momentous 2008 National Council of the Botswana Democratic Party. This is one of the many pleasant events I have attended in the last three months. As you are aware, I have spent the last few weeks travelling throughout our country meeting Batswana of all walks of life. My trips have covered all our major centres - from Tsabong in the South to Kasane in the North and from Charleshill in the west to Bobonong in the east.
I have met young Batswana who are our leaders of tomorrow as well as senior citizens of my age and above, who do not aspire for any political office, but would be eternally grateful if they received their tandabala on time. I also met Dikgosi tsa rona, public officers, captains of industry, trade unionists, BDP members, opposition party members, as well as many many ordinary Batswana who constitute the silent majority.
I was amazed and humbled by the manner in which my kgotla meetings spontaneously turned into a celebrative mood exciting the entire spectrum of all those who attended. I was touched and overwhelmed by the outpouring of affection and generosity. Indeed MmaNametso and I cannot find enough words to express our gratitude.
All the people I met, socialized with me cheerfully, and fraternised with one another without any discernible tension. I was left without any shadow of doubt that our beloved Botswana has truly become a proud and united nation. I felt proud that I made a modest contribution towards the consolidation of our national unity through the enlargement of Ntlo ya Dikgosi tsa rona and the inclusion of many of our traditional leaders into the mainstream of national leadership.
There were many who ululated and praised me for having maintained the tradition and the principles of Democracy Development, Self-Reliance and Unity, which we inherited from our founding fathers. There were many who expressed full confidence in our in-coming President Lt Gen Seretse Khama Ian Khama as both he and I, and others in our team came from the same political mould constructed by our predecessors. I interpreted this not so much as a tribute to me or my successor, but rather as an expression of confidence in and satisfaction with the fundamental law of the land - our constitution.
There is a solid consensus of Batswana out there who are happy with our constitution. They are not ashamed to confirm loudly and passionately that the political stability and the relative economic prosperity that we have enjoyed over the years are attributable, not just to the good leadership of the BDP, but also to the firm structure and quality of the letter of the Botswana constitution. Some key aspects of our constitution were applauded such as automatic succession, constituency-based national assembly elections, and the built-in spirit of Therisanyo. These pillars of our constitution were said to be firmly rooted in our culture, traditions and our Kgotla system.
Some went as far as to applaud the succession plan of the Botswana Democratic Party which they saw as an integral part of our constitutional development. Naturally I agreed with them, especially as our party is the only party in Botswana, which has a clear and irrevocable succession plan. There can be no doubt that our succession plan is a distinctive hallmark of our political stability. Elsewhere, in times of leadership transition, there would be murmurs, or even tremors which could result in confusion and chaos.
We must be grateful that we do not even have a ripple of disquiet as we change the guard. I must once again acknowledge the debt of gratitude we owe the founding fathers of our Republic - Sir Seretse Khama and those of his team who are no longer with us and Sir Ketumile Masire and his colleagues who have retired from active service - for being the architects of a viable and workable constitutional dispensation and an enviable democratic system of governance. Let us stand for one minute to show our appreciation and respect and to salute these heroes of Yesteryear without whose courageous contribution the Botswana of today might not have seen the light of day. We pledge never to disappoint them.
The art of good government is similar to skills in the building industry. Only good architects produce solid buildings. Our system of Government is solid and stable because it was well architectured. Unfortunately, human nature has determined that just as good architects have to share the same firmament with poorly skilled mortals, so must good politicians co-exist with unskilled ones. There exist a few vociferous politicians, some of them in the National assembly who will sacrifice every rule in the book to gain political mileage. These individuals have been calling for various political reforms which would lead to major changes to our constitution. Although, they do not have much support nationally they have received a disproportionate share of attention from our media which they have used to whip at the Botswana Democratic Party.
The impression has been created that we are against reforms. Nothing could be further from the truth. There are a number of political reforms which we have introduced over the years which the opposition now claims to have authored. There simply is no validity in the assertion that the lowering of the voting age to 18 years and the creation of the Independent Electoral Commission were initiatives of the opposition. How could they initiate such major changes when they have never been in Government. People are entitled to dream - but they must know that dreams cannot rewrite history.
It must be understood that on the basis of our experience and our good leadership credentials, the people of Botswana have chosen us to be the custodians of their constitution. We would like to assure Batswana that we take this responsibility very seriously. We have sworn before the Almighty to defend the constitution. And, we shall. We will not allow the whims of individual politicians to erode the sanctity of our constitution.
The Botswana Democratic Party would be the main beneficiary of some of the reforms that are being talked about. For instance if we were to introduce direct election of the President, we would stand to gain because we are the only party that has solid support in all the regions of Botswana. Our opposition colleagues have support in some parts of the country but they are non-existent in other parts. Therefore, any ground truth investigation would prove that our presidential candidates would dominate the political arena even in direct elections. Similarly, if there were to be party funding by the state, as the majority party in the country, we would be the main beneficiary of such a policy.
If we were guided strictly by self-interest we would introduce some of these changes without being prompted. Batswana now know that we are nation builders, and, as such we always have to take the interests of all into account including those of future generations. The opposition parties on the other hand, have demonstrated that they are mere political commentators who come and go. They are not skilled and schooled in the art and architecture of government. That is why their positions on political reform are always characterised by obsession, subjectivity and perceived political advantage. Little do they realize that they may be pursuing a paper tiger.
My advice is that we must show maturity and patience; in the true spirit of Mafoko a kgotla a mantle otlhe, we must listen but be steadfast in explaining that government cannot be treated like fashion, where change is embraced because one's high profile neighbours looked glamorous wearing it. We are being asked to introduce direct elections for our Presidents because the Kenyans and Zimbabweans have done so; that we should have party funding because it is practiced in the United States of America. Our existing system is lampooned and disparaged even though it has not caused any disasters. What kind of parents love their neighbours' children more than their own. This is the phenomenon which our opposition colleagues exhibit.
It is difficult to know what their next demand will be. They may even suggest that we abandon our kgotla system just because South Africa and Namibia do not have it. Fellow Democrats, I prefer a situation where we love our own and demonstrate through deeds that we are a viable family and viable state. In addition, I would not employ an architect who recommends that I should reconstruct a well built house just because the children's bedrooms are too small. Our constitution is well built and well structured, therefore any tinkering could trivialise an important document and unnecessarily make it a political campaign issue. The issues raised are children's bedrooms.
The viability of this country under the leadership of the Botswana Democratic Party is not in doubt. We have built a robust economy which has consistently registered growth rates that are above average. We have relentlessly and vigorously pursued the key priorities of reducing unemployment, alleviating poverty, overcoming the scourge of HIV/AIDS and diversifying the economy.
We do acknowledge that, just as there are adverse winds in every voyage, we have had to encounter many challenges. We have, however, remained undaunted, hence the major breakthroughs we have registered, especially in the development of physical infrastructure. Ten years ago, we had 4900 kms of tarred roads. At the end of 2007 this figure had increased to 6400 km which means that we have added 150 km to our bituminized network every year. This is no mean achievement. The Chinese have a saying that if you want to make a community rich, you must build them a road. If there is validity in this saying then we are hoping to make many more communities rich with the completion of the Tsabong-Bokspits and the Dutlwe-Morwamusu roads next year. In addition, construction of the Mohembo-Beetsha, Tshesebe-Masunga and Ngoma-Kachikau, all of which are new roads, should commence before the end of this plan period.
The development of our educational infrastructure is also progressing reasonably well. As we transform Botswana into an educated and informed nation, we have, on average, been able to build 7 primary schools each year to accommodate all those children whose quest for education has been constrained by inadequate facilities. Accordingly, since 1998, we have completed 68 primary schools, two Community Junior Secondary Schools at Mosu in Boteti and Kauxwi in Okavango and four more Community Junior Secondary Schools are planned for completion during NDP9. The transition rates of students from Community Junior to Senior Secondary School should improve considerably with the construction of senior secondary schools at Goodhope, Nata, Mogoditshane, Mmadinare and Shakawe. Goodhope alone, which opened this month, has enrolled 2000 students. We are indeed breaking new ground.
We have sustained our aggressiveness in developing education because we firmly believe that our human resource is the greatest asset that our country possesses. We will continue to make the development of this resource a major priority. The advent of monumental landmarks such as Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST), and School of Medicine at the apex of the tertiary education landscape means that Botswana's transformation into a knowledge society, whose main trademark will be research and innovation is imminent.
It is my earnest hope that this transformation of our people and our economy will bring with it greater entrepreneurship and spirit of enterprise. I would expect Batswana in general, but our youth in particular, to become more active in creating job opportunities for themselves as well for others. The onus of creating jobs cannot be left to government alone. The challenge of reducing unemployment will for ever remain a cloud overhanging our economy, unless we all commit ourselves to putting our shoulders behind the wheel to drive the economic wagon. As a party in government we have made that commitment and it is reflected in the 2006 Labour Force Survey, which shows that we have increased total employment from 345, 000 in 1996 to 549, 000 in 2006. This means that over a period of ten years total employment increased by an annual average of 4.7% whilst correspondingly, unemployment has gone down from 21.5% to 17.6% for the same period.
Although our empowerment initiatives through CEDA, the Young Farmers Window and the Youth fund are still in their infancy, we have disbursed close to a 1 billion Pula to support our budding entrepreneurs. Over 15000 jobs have been created so far from some 2000 projects that have been funded. This achievement appears modest but at least a start has been made and I hope that as the effort gathers momentum, it will become one of the vehicles through which diversification of our economy could be enhanced.
Sometimes I feel that our critics are uncharitable when they fail to acknowledge that a measurable degree of economic diversification has occurred in the recent past. For instance in 2006 the transport and communication sector grew by 20% and manufacturing by 12%. These are respectable rates of growth.
Growth in our information technology and communication is probably one of the outstanding highlights of the last ten years because it has been phenomenal. Our mobile communications subscriber base has grown from Zero in 1998 to over one million in December 2007. This reflects robust growth and represents a current mobile-phone teledensity of 82%. Mobile telephones are transforming lives of many Batswana. Farmers are now able to communicate with their Badisa at cattle posts several kilometers away. This should improve the management of our cattle herd. My own granddaughter Sindy who is only 4 years is agitating for a cell phone so that she should be able to communicate with us in our retirement. For me, this represents a revolution because I first had a cellphone a month after became President.
One can catalogue many more examples of diversification but it must also be emphasized that we do not intend to down play the significance of minerals in our economy. That is why we have been exploring all possible avenues of adding value locally to our mineral output. The establishment of DTC Botswana in Gaborone and the Botswana Metals Refinery in Francistown are significant breakthroughs. For the first time since independence Botswana diamonds will be polished and manufactured in large volumes within Botswana and our copper will be refined to metal grade through technology whose application was piloted on our soil.
The current energy crisis could bring us benefits if managed carefully. Indeed it would be an ill-wind that blows no body any good. Shortage of electricity in Southern Africa has substantially improved our chances to develop our coal resources. Hence the increased activity at Morupule and Mmamabula and that is why in 2005, I paid a state visit to the Republic of South Africa and made the construction of a power station in Botswana the main subject of my address to their Parliament. We have all been working very hard to ensure that Mmamabula and Morupule expansion materialize. When these projects come on stream, Botswana will become a major player in the supply of electricity in Southern Africa. We are proceeding vigorously with our rural electrification programme because we are confident that we will have adequate power supply in the near future.
Madomi a a rategang, it must be stated that most of the achievements I have outlined would have been illusive if we did not have good leadership with a solid support base. That is why it is critically important that we remain focused so that we must not lose the investment we have made in developing the experience to manage a country and maintaining a united party. Our unity is our main sword as we face future challenges.
There is an incomprehensible paradox that manipulates our lives as party members whenever we have to face an election. Our name enjoins us to espouse democracy. And, elections are an integral part of any democratic culture. Ordinarily, one would expect elections to be the medium that cements a party into a united force. Regrettably, that medium did not assist during the 2003 Bulela Ditswe. What appears to have happened is that the instinct of self-preservation, which should have motivated and strengthened us into a united party, abandoned us, and our unity disintegrated and dissolved like salt put in water. Dear Democrats, what kind of army disintegrates at a time when it is preparing to face the enemy? I sincerely hope that the 2008 Bulela Ditswe will be different. We are called upon to show our mettle during primary elections. All those who aspire to be candidates in our Bulela Ditswe must know that in any contest, there is a possibility of failure, and if that possibility were not there, then victory would be meaningless.
Let us not give our opposition colleagues the luxury of taunting us, albeit with unremarkable gusto, as they have been doing in Parliament, claiming that our popular support has been declining. Let us not give any opposition member the opportunity to feast and celebrate on votes and support from disaffected members of the BDP. An audit check on our party register shows that it is robust. We have a strong party with viable policies which enjoy the support of the vast majority of Batswana. Therefore, we deserve to win elections convincingly. If every member on our register in 2004 had voted for our candidates we would have won the election with over 70% of the popular vote. And, as our membership has since increased, we should clean the Slate in 2009.
There is one fundamental position which is not negotiable. It is that the BDP is mightier than the individual. If I were to borrow a biblical analogy, the party is the vine and the members are the branches. Branches which have a strong osmotic bond with the vine always bear good fruit. In the same vein a party with committed members who support their leadership will always thrive. As i bow out, my advice to you, from Central Committee through the Regional Committees and Branches to the ordinary member is found in Johane 15 Verse 17 which states that: "Ke lo laya ke re ratanang." It must be understood that there is a direct correlation between unity within the Botswana Democratic Party and stability of our Republic.
As much as we affirm our right to lead, we must also embrace the right to be led. I have been leading this great party for the past ten years and the time has now come for me to descend from the presidential chair and walk the talk by becoming a faithful and loyal follower of our new President. This is not just a constitutional injunction but a process in which I strongly believe. I have completed my portion of the relay successfully and I am ready to handover the baton to the next member of the team.
Luckily I do not have to invoke the message in the chorus - "Fa ke tsamaya o tla a sala le mang." Ka gore, morwa Khama ona le lona, le lona lona le ene. It is self evident that I have full confidence in Vice President Khama. He possesses all the qualities any nation would look for in a leader. He has been my Vice President, my right handman and my close confidante. As Kgosi, the traditions, norms, mores and values of our people, run through his veins. As a soldier, he has been led and he has also commanded and earned his stars. As a politician, he has played as a team member, contributed to strategy, and supported his captain. Together we have savoured all the triumphs and successfully walked through the thorny tribulations our party has experienced. I am convinced that he will walk with you to many more victories.
I transfer my membership to Phakalane Ward where I hope to bond with Democrats of the area. I hope they will welcome and integrate me into their structures. I would urge them to apply the advice of Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, former President of Tanzania who said in African culture "a visitor is a visitor for two days, on the third day you give him a hoe." As I am not yet mined out, I am ready to take the hoe. As a retired Commander-in-Chief, I hope to continue fighting some of the ills which plague our society. As the HIV/AIDS war ravages our society I pledge my willingness to stand shoulder to shoulder with all those who are on a mission to convince Batswana to stop new infections.
I must thank God for having given me the stamina, the adrenalin, the good health and the sense of purpose which have enabled me to lead this great Nation. I am fully couscous of the reality that, alone I would have achieved much less, and that the monumental developments we see today throughout our motherland are a result of a collective effort. The momentum generated by our development initiatives is now irreversible. The odds have been formidable but we have soldiered on with resoluteness, principledness and Napoleonic zeal and determination. The media hounds and other skeptics were for the most part hostile, but we stayed the course and reached this vantage point. How glorious it has been to have led this Republic and the Botswana Democratic Party for the past 10 years. Long live Botswana. Long live the Botswana Democratic Party. Tsholetsa!
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