Isaiah Morewagae
15 September 2008
Former President, Festus Mogae has castigated Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) members for the decay of the spirit of self-reliance.
Mogae revealed that everybody wants to be paid for the job they do nowadays against the background of the party when it was formed in the 1960s. Speaking at the Junior Achievement Botswana (JAB) development programme award dinners, Mogae observed that everybody feels cheated when they volunteer. He noted that until the late 1990's, his party was known for the spirit of volunteerism but things took a dramatic turn as everybody now wants to be paid for the contributions they make.
"Voluntarism is a reflection of Batswana's spirit of self-reliance, which served this country well in the early years of independence, but unfortunately things have changed and people now want to be paid for everything they do". Mogae said. He said that for the country to make progress someone has to volunteer. Mogae encouraged JAB business advisors who are mostly teachers to walk an extra mile for the benefit of Botswana's future. He lamented that most people have unionised which he said sometimes defeats the spirit of voluntarism.
He was delighted with JAB business advisors as they are working tirelessly to develop one of the most critical resources of this country- the human resource. Mogae commended the business advisors for volunteering their time in nurturing and coaching future leaders and responsible citizens.
"The work you are doing is appreciated because you are contributing to the continued prosperity of our nation and that requires people such as you, who are selfless, committed and dedicated," Mogae commended.
He pointed out that many students who pass through the JAB programme are confident and disciplined citizens, who contribute positively to the development of their community.
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