The Minister of Defence Justice and Security Hon.D.N.Seretse at the Farewell Party of three Senior Staff

source: Republic of Botswana TAUTONA TIMES of 15/8/2010
The Electronic Press Circular of the Office of the President
"Democracy, Development, Dignity, Discipline and Delivery"

B4) 12/8/10: SPEECH BY THE MINISTER OF DEFENCE JUSTICE AND SECURITY HON. DIKGAKGAKMATSO N. SERETSE AT THE FAREWELL PARTY OF THREE SENIOR STAFF OF THE MINISTRY OF DEFENCE, JUSTICE AND SECURITY

[Salutations]...Ladies and Gentlemen

1. I host this farewell with mixed feelings of happiness and sadness. Happy that we are celebrating selfless commitment to national service by three distinguished public servants. Sad that we are losing such service and experience as a Ministry and the Public Service at large.

2. It is un-common to bid farewell to this number of Permanent Secretary level officers all in one event. As Ministers, we are accustomed to the occasional retirement of one Permanent Secretary, as, by their nature, Permanent Secretaries tend to have a more permanent tenure of office than some of us - Ministers.

3. In a Ministry such as ours, in which there are 14 Permanent Secretaries/Permanent Secretary level officers (given the multiplicity of diverse functions), a Minister will, with much frequency, enjoy moments such as this one, quite to the envy of others. Just with as much frequency, a Minister will have to endure moments of regret as he/she witnesses the departure of those who have served well under the various departments of the Ministry.

4. This evening, I, together with all of you who have honoured our invitation, are bidding farewell to Leatile Isabella Dambe, Daphne Motlagomang Matlakala, and Tendekani Egano Malebeswa. In that order, the three (3) officers have vacated the high offices of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Secretary for Legislative Drafting and Deputy Attorney General (International and Commercial Division).

5. They command extensive experience, knowledge and practice in the field of law. Amongst them, they have a cumulative experience of 82 years (Mr. Malebeswa at 22, Ms Matlakala at 30, and Ms Dambe at 30).

6. The breadth of their combined experience, the longevity of their service, and the leadership roles they have played, bespeaks their high levels of dedication, good performance and leadership capabilities. In as much as they should be enormously proud of themselves for their contribution and achievements in the development of this country, more proud should be the nation they have so diligently served.

7. Ladies and Gentlemen, it is saddening that the departure of these exemplary experts comes at a time when the Attorney General's Chambers is experiencing a haemorrhage of expertise. However, our sadness will be mitigated by the fact that they are not lost to the nation as I believe they will continue to contribute to the Justice System in the country.

8. I would like to conclude by saying that tonight, through the departure of our colleagues, we celebrate achievement and well deserved accolades; we bring back and relish memories of times spent together on and off work; we thank dearly your families who had to put up with your endless absences from home. We also take comfort in the knowledge that you have left clear and distinct footprints for the guidance of those who remain and those who will come.

9. It is thus my pleasure, to wish all three (3) of you well in your new endeavours, which in the case of Mma Dambe is the bench; for Mr. Malebeswa it is private practice. To Daphne, I say whatever you choose to do after enough weeks of the much needed rest, knowing your gravitas, you will succeed. But most of all, I pray that the good Lord protect and preserve you all. I thank you