Botswana: Mindset Change to Drive Transformation

Gaborone, the capital of Botswana (file photo).

Gaborone — In an effort to pave a path to a brighter future for all citizens, government will embark on a national mindset change campaign aimed at driving transformation and fostering a collective shift in attitudes and perspectives.

The national mindset change campaign will be officially launched by President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi in Zutshwa, July 20.

Chief of Staff in the Office of the President, Mr Boyce Sebetlela explained that the national mindset change campaign was a call for citizens to unite behind a vision of shared principles and bring back the values of botlhaga, bofefo, botswerere, botho and bonatla into the national development framework as pillars of high-performance culture.

Mr Sebetlela said government recognised the crucial role of mindset in shaping individual actions and societal outcomes. In an interview with BOPA on Thursday, Mr Sebetlela said in acknowledging that the country had not delivered on NDP 11 outcomes to expectations, President Masisi launched the Reset Agenda.

"The president challenged all of us to drastically shift our way of thinking and doing things as there was a need to be more creative, efficient, agile and to be confident about ourselves and project the same to the world as we set out to become a high-income country," Mr Sebetlela explained.

Identifying that the strength and resilience of a nation lay within the mindset of its people, Mr Sebetlela said the campaign was designed to address critical challenges, stimulate innovation, and nurture a sense of patriotism.

He pointed out that the campaign's fundamental principle was that every Motswana had the potential to advance the nation and therefore the programme also aimed to encourage people from all areas of life to actively contribute towards creation of a better Botswana by encouraging a sense of ownership, responsibility and empowerment.

He said success of the vision depended on adoption of a high-performance culture.

"By fostering an environment that encourages individuals to envisage their own potential, the campaign seeks to unravel untapped talents and capabilities, nurturing a culture of innovation, self-worth and entrepreneurship," he stated.

He said the transformative movement would leverage various platforms and engage citizens across all segments of society.

However, he cautioned that effecting a national mindset change was not a small feat as it required an unrelenting commitment from all segments of society, including government bodies, NGOs, companies and individuals.

"It is also a call to move past the constraints of the past, embrace the opportunities of the present, and create a future that is characterised by development, compassion, and harmony."

BOPA

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