Botswana Day Message by His Excellency Lieutenant General Seretse Khama Ian Khama, President of the Republic of Botswana

source: Republic of Botswana (30/9/09): TAUTONA TIMES no 25 of 2009
The Electronic Press Circular of the Office of the President
“Democracy, Development, Dignity and Discipline”

B1) 30/9/09: Please find below the texts of H.E. the President's Botswana Day Message in a) English and b) Setswana:

B1a) 2009 BOTSWANA DAY MESSAGE BY HIS EXCELLENCY LIEUTENANT GENERAL SERETSE KHAMA IAN KHAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF BOTSWANA:

1. My fellow citizens, it is again my pleasure to address you as we mark the 43rd Anniversary of our Independence as a sovereign Republic.

2. While spending time with family and friends, on this day we can proudly celebrate the fact that the progress we have made in establishing a better Botswana over the years has been a product of our collective efforts and understanding.

3. Similarly, sustaining this progress and overcoming the many challenges we still face will require shared commitment and mutual responsibility.

4. An important responsibility in a vibrant democracy such as ours, is the right and duty to vote.

5. In this regard, today’s Anniversary comes at a time when we are approaching our tenth national election.

6. On the 16th October, men and women in every corner of our land will once more have the opportunity to freely choose their political leadership.

7. On that day we will undoubtedly be divided in our choices. Yet, in casting our ballots, we will also be united in our commitment to sustain the democratic values and practices that have sustained us thus far.

8. Our peaceful voting in free and fair elections has come to define who we are, as well as where we want to go, as a society united in its diversity and confident of its capacity for further progress.

9. I therefore take this opportunity to appeal to all of you who have registered to vote, to go out and exercise your right to choose by casting your ballot on polling day. This is why I decided to declare 16th October, this year a public holiday to enable citizens to have time, away from their work, to cast their vote. I was therefore perturbed to hear that over 37,000 citizens may miss this once in five years opportunity, simply because their Omang Cards have either expired or new ones have not been collected.

10. Let us remember that those who will be elected shall from that moment on, be representing the hopes and aspirations of all of the voters in their constituencies, irrespective of party political affiliation.

11. Our democracy remains rooted in our adherence to the Constitution, which is the legal guarantor of our collective responsibilities to each other as fellow citizens, as well as the individual liberties we all enjoy. I hereby rededicate myself to respecting the constitution and I did during my inauguration and appeal to all Batswana to do the same.

12. Fellow citizens, let me at this juncture, urge you all to be mindful of the fact that it is our shared destiny to compete as a relatively small state, in a much bigger world where wealth is created through international trade and investment, as well as domestic production.

13. Bagaetsho, commitment to democratic ideals and voting in free and fair elections are not sufficient on their own to sustain us. We need to work very hard to be productive and build a robust economy. The ongoing global recession is a reminder of how vulnerable we are in this respect. In order to succeed as a nation in this fast paced world, we must become more globally competitive, by setting goals and standards that are truly world-class.

14. This in turn requires us to adopt a more productive approach and mindset both within Government and society as a whole.

15. May I also remind you, that this is the month when we annually rededicate ourselves to achieving our long-term Vision 2016.

16. The outgoing Parliament has just passed the 10th National Development Plan, which will take us forward to 2016.

17. It is for this reason that the plan’s goals and anticipated outcomes are linked to the achievement of our Vision 2016 Pillars.

18. As we go about implementing this plan, we need to appreciate that the burden of national development does not rest on the shoulders of Government alone. The onus is on all of us to achieve our desired outcomes.

19. Let me conclude by once more affirming my own confidence in our collective ability to overcome our challenges while achieving our highest aspirations.

20. As we approach another rainy season, let us again pray to God that He will once more bless our land with good rains.

21. And when it does rain, let us show our gratitude by applying ourselves seriously to tilling the land and making our fields bountiful with fruits of his blessings.

22. May all of us enjoy a happy and safe 43rd Independence Anniversary, while rededicating ourselves, with God’s guidance, to collectively strive for a more perfect society in this imperfect world. PULA!!!

B1b) MOLAETSA WA GA TAUTONA LT GENERAL SERETSE KHAMA IAN KHAMA WA LETSATSI LA BOIPUSO- SEPTEMBER 2009.

1. Batswana betsho, ke boitumelo jo bogolo gore ke bo ke buwa le lona go tshwaya ngwaga wa bo- 43, re ipelela Boipuso jwa rona.

2. Jaaka ha re tlaa bo re kopanye le ditsala le ba malwapa a rona ka letsatsi le, re tshwanetse go itumelela gore tswelelopele e re e dirileng go aga Botswana yo re mmonang yo, ke tiro ya diatla tsa rona le megopolo ya rona.

3. Jalo he, gore re nne re kgone go tswelelapele re bo re henye mathata a a ka nnang teng, go tlaa batla gore re tshwaragane re bo re ikaelele phenyo.

4. Puso ya batho ka batho, e e phophomang jaaka ya rona jaana, e batla gore re e direle ka go ema re ya go tlhopha.

5. Ka sebopego se se ntseng jalo, re tsena mo maipelong a letsatsi la Boipuso ka nako ya ditlhopho tsa rona tsa lesome.

6. E tlaare Phalane a le 16, banna le basadi gongwe le gongwe mono Botswana ba tlaa bo ba atlanagetswe ke go itlhophela boeteledi jwa sepolotiki jo ba bo batlang.

7. Ka letsatsi leo, re tla a bo re kgaoganye ka digongwana re tlhopha, mme ha re tlhopha jalo, go raya gore re tshwaraganye mo maikaelelong a rona a go tsweledisa mowa le ditiro tsa puso ya batho ka batho e e re gorositseng hano.

8. Go tsamaisa ditlhopho tsa rona ka tshosologo le tolamo, ke selo se se kaelang dichaba gore re bo-mang mme re batla go ya kae, re le chaba e e tshwaraganyeng mme e itshepha gore e ka tsweledisa matshelo a yone.

9. Ke ikuela mo mongweng le mongwe wa lona yo o ikwadisetseng gore e re ka letsatsi la ditlhopho a emelele a ye go tlhopha. Go tlhopha go botlhokwa, ke sone se ke dirileng gore letsatsi la Phalane a le 16, e bo e se letsatsi la pereko gore sechaba sekgone go ya go tlhopha. Mme ke tshwenyegile thata ha ke utlwa gotwe batho ba le 37 000, ba ka nna ba seka ba tlhopha ka gore, bangwe dikarata tsa bone tsa Omang dihedile, bangwe ga ba ya go tseya tsa bone tse di ntchahaditsweng kwa diofising tsa Omang.

10. Ke rata gore mongwe le mongwe yo o tlaabong a tlhophilwe, e re gotswa hoo a itse gore o emetse dikeletso tsa batho botlhe mo kgaolong eo, a sa tseo ope ka letsogo la molema ka ntata ya gore ke wa phathi e sele.

11. Puso ya rona ya batho ka batho e tlamparetse molao-motheo ka e le o ne re ikokotlelang ka o ne, go tsamaisa matshelo a rona, gore re akole ditshwanelo tse re nang natso. Jaaka ha erile ke tlhongwa mo maemong a Botautona, ka supa ha ke tlamparela molao-motheo, ke dira jalo gape le mo nakong eno, mme ke ikuela mo Motswaneng mongwe le mongwe gore re direng jalo rotlhe.

12. Bagaetsho, ke rata go lo lemotsha gore aitse re lehatshe le le botlana mme retshwanetse go gaisanya le mahatshehatshe a a ikgobokanyetsang dikhumo ka dipapadi tse di harologanyeng le ka go itirela mo dichabeng tsa bone.

13. Betsho, ga se gore matshelo a rona a tla tswelela sentle hela ka gore re na le puso ya batho ka batho ebile re na le ditlhopho, re tshwanetse gore re tlhantlhele re age itsholelo e e tshelang. Tiragalo ya go phutlhama ga itsholelo ya mahatshe e re senotse gore re a reketla.
Jalo he gore re kgone re le sechaba re tshwanetse go ipaakanyetsa go gaisanya le mahatshe a mangwe, ka go ititaa sehuba re supa se re tla se dirang se se ka rekwang ke dichaba tse dingwe.

14. Selo se raya gore, re itsenye mowa wa go natlahalela re le badirela puso le sechaba ka kakaretso.

15. Ke rata go lo gakolola gore ngwaga le ngwaga re itlama sesha re itlhokoletsa ditiro tsa tebelopele ya 2016 mo go yone kgwedi e.

16. Mme palamente e phatlaladitsweng maloba jaana, e dumalanye lenaneo la ditlhalolo tsa lesome tse di yang go re gorosa kwa go e ne 2016.

17. Selo se ke sone se se dirang gore maikaelelo a ditogamaano tse le ditsholohelo tsa rona di bo di momaganye le dipinagare tsa matshelo tse re di itlhometseng mo Vision 2016.

18. Gobotlhokwa gore e re ntse re tsweletse le ditogamaano tse re nne re gakologelwe gore mokgweleo wa go dira ditlhablolo tsa lehatshe ga o kake wa rwesiwa puso e le nosi. Go mo maruding a rona rotlhe gore re diragatse tse re di batlang.

19. Mma ke digele mahoko a me ka go otlelela gore, ke na le tshepho ya gore re nonohile go henya tse di ka re kgopang mo tseleng, mme re ka goroga kwa re batlang go ya teng.

20. Betsho, paka e re tsenang mo go yone ke ya pula, mme a re ipeeng ha pele ga Modimo gore o segohatse lehatshe la rona ka dipula tse di namagadi.

21. Mme e re dipula tse di goroga, rotlhe re supe ha re di itumelela ka go lema gore masimo a rona a tlale dijo ka masego a Morena.

22. A rotlhe re ipeleleng boipuso ja bo-43, re ipeye hapele ga Modimo gore re gakalele gonna sechaba se se itshekileng maikutlo, mo metlheng e e thata mo dichabeng di le dintsi. PULA!!!