Masisi will complete his term – Morwaeng
Innocent Selatlhwa | Tuesday September 7, 2021 06:00
The developments seem to be giving leaders sleepless nights with the Minister for Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration, Kabo Morwaeng posting on Facebook early Sunday morning calling for calm. “I have observed recent utterances by some and a 'petition' circulating on social media calling on His Excellency the President, Dr Mokgweetsi E. K. Masisi, to step down.
But let me remind all that President Masisi is serving a constitutionally granted five-year mandate handed by popular vote at the 2019 General Elections (sic)." "While I respect the right of every Motswana to petition and show displeasure as enshrined under the Constitution of Botswana, I encourage that this should be exercised responsibly at all times.
I, therefore, urge Batswana not to tolerate any sentiments that could incite violence. Government continues to facilitate the enjoyment of the right to free speech but also has the responsibility to ensure that the rule of law is in place,” Morwaeng posted on his Facebook page at 6:04am. He stated that they acknowledge that the nation has suffered many setbacks with combating COVID-19 being the current priority, thereby causing the delay of some projects.
He said they are aware of the struggles Batswana continue to face that exacerbated as the country battles the pandemic and wishes to assure the nation that all concerns are noted and will be addressed accordingly. “Batswana are therefore assured that this administration has their best interests at heart and will do the necessary to preserve lives.
Most importantly, President Masisi will complete the mandate given to him by Batswana during the 2019 General Elections. In short, he is going nowhere and will continue to serve Batswana,” he said.
The government has been under fire lately over what is termed failure to serve Batswana and taking decisions that further irritate Batswana like the purchase of Tautona Lodge in Gantsi at P58 million. Pastor Thuso Tiego is the latest to make headlines calling for Masisi to step down.
He accuses the President of failure to improve livelihoods as per his pre-election promises. A petition calling for Masisi’s resignation by Hope For A Brighter Future has attracted over 13,000 on Change.Org, a popular petition website. The petition slams Masisi for failure to live up to his pledges and questions his appointments. “We humbly request President Masisi to step down so that we usher in more capable leaders, who will destroy corruption and nepotism, who will ensure that all state technical posts are merited and the awarding of public tenders is clean and transparent.
In the current regime we have seen how individuals are handpicked from the comfort of their homes and offices, some from retirement, some are not even qualified or more qualified.
It is therefore naïve and counterintuitive to appoint persons to positions based on political party affiliation and relations,” reads the petition.