New look Botswana Brand to be unveiled today?
MONKAGEDI GAOTLHOBOGWE
Staff Writer
| Thursday November 12, 2009 00:00
Mmegi is informed that the Botswana Brand will be one of the agenda items today after the inaugural Botswana Brand, launched by former president Festus Mogae was trashed by stakeholders at the last HLCC held in July.
Jeff Ramsay, the government spokesman, confirmed yesterday that the July mini HLCC was called specifically to discuss the Botswana Brand, after the issue came up at the May HLCC. ' I know they were asked to make a presentation in May, and that's why they had a mini HLCC in July. The issue may come up, it could very well become a matter arising...' Dr Ramsay said in a phone interview yesterday.
Informed sources also disclosed that President Khama instructed BEDIA and the then Minister of Trade and Industry, Neo Moroka to revisit the concept of the Botswana Brand after it received a barrage of criticism from stakeholders at the last HLCC in July.
Mmegi is informed by sources attending today's HLCC that BEDIA and the Ministry of Trade and Industry were instructed to present the new look Botswana Brand at the November HLCC (today). However, Montlenyane Baaitse, the spokesperson at the ministry would not discuss the matter before the brand is presented before the HLCC, while at BEDIA, the acting CEO Bryan Mosenene referred any queries regarding the Botswana Brand to Esther Kanaimba-Senai, a member of the board of the Botswana Brand.
However Kanaimba-Senai yesterday said she was not sure whether they would have to make yet another presentation after the former BEDIA CEO Dorcas Makgato-Malesu did so at the last HLCC. However she said the consultation about the brand is still ongoing, adding that the stakeholders have expressed misgivings about the brand's tagline. Makgato-Malesu is now the assistant Minister of Trade and Industry. She referred any queries to Kanaimba-Senai.
After it was launched with pomp by the then president Mogae, the Botswana Brand received a battering from all corners, as MPs and members of the public condemned both its slogan and form but the last straw, according to our sources, was at the July HLCC when all the stakeholders called for its review.
The Botswana Brand has been dismissed as too complicated to grasp and irrelevant to Botswana. The slogan went like this: Opportunity and tranquility beckons. However the likes of MP Botsalo Ntuane were the first to join the refrain, calling for the review of the brand. Ntuane had said the Botswana Brand's tag line was not comparable to India's Incredible India, or Malaysia's Truly Asia and South Africa's It is Possible, which he said are very good.
Mmegi gathers that at the last HLCC in July, BEDIA and the Ministry of Trade and Industry found only themselves defending the brand, as the rest of the stakeholders bombarded them with criticism, prompting President Khama to instruct them to come up with something more appealing.