Christmas and New Year Message to the Nation by H.E. Lt. Gen. Seretse Khama Ian Khama President of the Republic of Botswana - December 2008

source: REPUBLIC OF BOTSWANA - OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
26/12/08 - Tautona Times Holiday Special

Below please find below transcripts in English (1) and Setswana (2) of H.E. the President's Christmas Day and New Year's message to the nation:

1) CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR MESSAGE TO THE NATION BY H.E. LT. GEN. SERETSE KHAMA IAN KHAMA PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF BOTSWANA - DECEMBER 2008

1. Bagaetsho! As we come to the end of another eventful year, it is a pleasure for me to have this opportunity to wish each and everyone a safe and pleasant holiday season.

2. For many of us this day holds a special significance as the anniversary of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, a pivotal event for believers that marks a transformative moment in humanity's existence.

3. For all of us, this can also be a time of new beginnings, as we come together to enjoy an annual break from life's routine.

4. As many of us have the pleasure of returning to our home villages; and as we find comfort and draw strength in the company of family and friends; we may also find the time for personal reflection as well as shared celebration.

5. The coming New Year will be full of challenges, however I am sure all of you will have heard about the current Global economic crisis as alluded to by the Minister of Finance and Development Planning to Parliament about two weeks ago.

6. Our economy is already feeling the negative impact of the global downturn in mineral commodity prices, therefore some of our programmes and projects will have to adjust their targets and timeframes to the reality of a general slowdown in trans-national investment.

7. Past savings and prudence shall be put to use to minimize the impact of current and expected downturns in revenue on Government programmes.

8. But, as we acknowledge the difficulties we are to face, let us also be encouraged by the fact that today's Botswana is the living legacy of men and women who overcame far greater adversity to forge our present progress.

9. Like them we must harvest our hopes by not giving into unfounded fears or cynical excuses for failing to achieve the best that lies within us. We should in the coming difficult period therefore motivate ourselves to work harder, be more productive, and turn this coming slowdown into opportunities that will see us come out of it on a better footing to achieve our goals both personally and nationally as we go forward with our development programmes.

10. As I also stated in my address before Parliament, just in the past few months alone, our country has continued to receive international accolades for our collective achievements in various fields.

11. If others can see something of the best in us, how much more aware should we be of our own God given potential?

12. Let us therefore not hesitate in taking justifiable pride in who we are, while being ever more ambitious in achieving all that we can be.

13. Crime is another challenge that can be defeated if we exercise greater collective responsibility by watching out for each other and working together with the police service. This is especially true during this time of the year, when criminals can be expected to try to take advantage of those who are away from their homes. Let us therefore keep an eye out for our neighbours as well as ourselves.

14. Substance abuse, that is the overindulgence of alcohol and use of banned substances, continues to aggravate the spread of HIV, as well as many of the other social ills we face from rape and domestic violence to the carnage of our roads. Thus it is that each year this time of joy becomes a season of sorrow for some among us.

15. Road accidents continue to rival the virus as the leading cause of premature death. Here again, let us keep the spirit of the season alive by practicing individual and collective responsibility and discipline.

16. Let us, therefore, all be united in faith and in prayer for the greater peace, prosperity and the wellbeing of our community during the coming year, and give thought and help to the disadvantaged in our society. Casting aside selfishness and reaching out to others will see us attain our vision of being a united and proud nation. Let us also pray for the suffering that our brothers and sisters in Zimbabwe are going through at the present time and hope that 2009 will deliver them better leadership that will help them to overcome their own crisis.

17. Finally let us beseech God's blessings for good rains, as I, in closing once again wish you all a joyous Christmas and productive New Year.


2) MOLAETSA WA GA MOTLOTLEGI TAUTONA LT. GEN. SERETSE KHAMA IAN KHAMA TAUTONA WA LEFATSHE LA BOTSWANA WA LETSATSI LA BOTSALO JWA MORENA LE NGWAGA O MOSHA MORULE, 2008

1. Bagaetsho, e re ka re digela ngwaga wa ditiragalo tse di ntsi,ke itumelela go bona sebaka sa go lo eleletsa lotlhe malatsi a boitapoloso a a babalesegileng.

2. Letsatsi la botsalo jwa Morena le na le bokao jo bogolo mo go ba le ba ntsi ba rona, ka re le amanya le go tsalwa ga Morena Jeso Keresete, se eleng tiragalo ya botlhokwa mo go ba ba dumelang, ka jaana e le yone modi wa tlholego ya motho.

3. Mme gape ke nako e rotlhe re tsenang mo ngwageng o mosha, o mo go one re kopanelang go itapolosa le go itumela, re e kgwa sepshwe mo go tse re tlwaetseng go di dira letsatsi le letsatsi.

4. Jaaka bontsi jwa rona re boela kwa magaeng go ya go bonana le go tlhola ba masika le ditsala, a re tsee sebaka se, motho mongwe le mongwe go itshekatsheka ka bo ene, le go tlhakanela boitumelo le ba bangwe.

5. Ngwaga oo tlang ke ngwaga wa dikgwetlho tse di ntsi. Ke solohela gore rotlhe re ne ra utlwa Tona Wa Madi le Ditogamaana tsa Ditlhabololo mo dibekeng tse pedi tse di hetileng, ha a ne a re lekodisa ka seemo se se sa iketlang sa itsholelo ya lehatshe ka bophara.

6. Itsholelo ya lehatshe la rona e setse e babalelwa ke go wa ga di tlhotlwa tsa di tswa mmung, mo go tlaa re pateletsang go sekaseka le go rulaganya mangwe mananeo a rona sesha go tsamaalana le seemo se.

7. Re tlamega go dirisa ka kelotlhoko matlotlo a re ntseng re a bolokile mo mananeong a puso, go fema manokonoko mo meamusong e e teng.

8. Mme le ha re mekamekana le mathata a a re emeng pele gompieno, a re ikgomotseng ka go lemoga gore, Botswana yo re mo akolang yo, ke letlotlo le re le tlogeletsweng ke Bo-Rre le Bo-Mme ba ba tshedileng pele ga rona, ba ba hentseng mathata a a hetang a re nang nao gompieno, mme ba re betlela tsela ya bokamoso.

9. A re tshwaneng le bone re nne le tsholofelo, re seka ra boiha ka na go kgobega marapo, mme re lemoge le go atla boleng jwa rona. A re itseteleng-a-dimo mo malatsing a a thata a a tlang, re dire ka natla go bona maduo a boleng, gore re henye go koahala ga seemo sa itsholelo se se solofetsweng. Se, se ka re thusa go fitlhelela maikaelelo le dikeletso tsa rona re le sechaba le ka bongwe ka bongwe. "Motswana a re maano a botshelo ga a site go sita a loso."

10. Jaaka ke setse ke boleletse Palamente, lehatshe la rona le ntse le amogela dikakgolo go tswa mo mahatsheng a mangwe, ka ntlha ya popagano ya rona e e re kgontshang ditiro tse di harologanyeng.
11. Mme ha batho ba bangwe ba kgona go lemoga boleng le bokgoni jwa
rona, a ga se gore rona ka sebele re itemogele gore re abetswe ke Modimo mme re ka kgona go le gontsi.

12. Go a re tshwanela go ipela mme ra tswelela ra kgaratlhela go dira go heta jaaka re dirile go hitlha ha re leng teng gompieno.

13. Re na le kgwetlho ya go lwantsha bogodu le borukutlhi, mme re ka kgona hela ha re tshwaraganye re thusanya, gape re dirisanya sentle le mapodise, bogolo jang ka yone nako e ya botsalo jwa Morena, ka ke gone ha magotswana le dirukutlhi ba simolotseng go sasanka ba itse ha re tlaa bo re seo mo malwapeng a rona. A re lebeleleng malwapa a baagisanyi ha ba seo, le rona re itlhokomele mo dirukutlhing.

14. Ditagi le go iphetisa dino le tsone di tsweletse ka go gakatsa go anama ga mogare wa HIV le bolwetse jwa AIDS. Dilo tseo gape ke tsone di rotloetsang kgokgontsho ya mo malwapeng le dipetelelo, le go gakatsa dikotsi tsa dipalamo le dintsho. Ke sone se e a reng mo nakong eno ya boitumelo, bangwe ba rona ba tloge ba tsene mo selelong le bohutsana.

15. Dikotsi le dintsho tsa dipalamo di setse di lepalepana le dintsho tse di bakwang ke mogare wa HIV. A ere mo seemong se, re tshegetse mowa wa boitumelo le kagiso, re nne le boikarabelo le boitshwaro motho ka bo ene, le sechaba ka kakaretso.

16. A re tshwaraganeng mo thapelong le tumelo, re rapeleleng bokamoso, katlego, botsogo jwa chaba ya rona le ledula, mme re nne re gopole bangwe ka rona ba ba tlhokileng lesego mo botshelong. Ha re ka tlogela go iteba re le nosi mme ra otlolola lebogo la lorato, ke gone re ka ipelang gore re chaba e e bopaganyeng e e lorato. A re gopoleng bo morwaa rraa rona ka ha Zimbabwe, re rapele gore ba gololesege mo tshotlegong e ba mo go yone, mme re solohele gore ngwaga oo tlang wa 2009, o tla ba tlela ka boeteledipele jo bo botoka jo bo ka ba ntshang mo bothateng jo ba mo go jone.

17. Ke hetsa ka go boa ke lo eleletsa boitumelo jwa botsalo jwa Morena le ngwaga o mo namagadi wa 2009. A re kopeng masego a pula mo Modimong. PULA