MAHALAPYE: On Saturday, a large crowd gathered at Mahalapye Kgotla to meet President Duma Boko, who held his first kgotla meeting in his home village.
People of all ages attended, including the elderly, middle-aged individuals, youth, and schoolchildren, all filled with a great sense of happiness. Though the meeting was scheduled for 10am, multitudes had already taken their seats at the kgotla long before time. They waited patiently as more continued to arrive until the President made his way to the kgotla after just around 11am. Boko was accompanied by members of his Cabinet and government officials. Amongst those who came to receive him were students from Tamocha Primary School and Madiba Senior Secondary School where Boko had attended as a student. Welcoming Boko to his kgotla, Kgosi Tshipe Tshipe, said it was a happy day for them as residents of Mahalapye. He said he lived with Boko during their school and politicking days before he ascended as Kgosi. “Mr President has long shown potential of being a leader from his youth days.
He was a fearless young man from his early years and even as he grew up and went on to study law. He even demonstrated his might in the courtroom,” he said. Tshipe said Boko was born and raised in Mahalapye to one revered gentleman named Steven Boko. “Those who know him from when he worked at Madiba and at Broadway, he liked reading, especially novels and newspapers. You can clearly see where our President’s smartness comes from,” he said.
He said Boko senior would ride his bicycle to political rallies listening to legends such as Dr Kenneth Koma and Mareledi Giddie. Tshipe said Boko had just come to greet his people, adding that a proper ceremony organised by morafe would be arranged to welcome the President to his home village in a befitting manner. Kgosi Tshipe said he listened to Boko when he addressed his Cabinet calling on them to deliver and "dare not fail". He said Boko picked his Cabinet carefully looking at their qualifications and they are expecting to see the results. Tshipe called on Mahalapye residents to understand that they now share Boko with the country, Africa and indeed the world. “We must accept he won't always be at our disposal. We have high hopes, but we should know he is looking at the whole of the country and not just Mahalapye. Where there are shortfalls, we should understand. I call on all of you to support him as Mahalapye, Bagammangwato, and Batswana so that he can succeed in what he promised. We should also know Rome was not built in one day,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Village Development Committee (VDC) chairperson Boniface Disho shared some of their concerns with Boko. Disho said they are worried about increased drug usage in their village. “The places selling these drugs are well-known but enforcing the law isn't strong enough. Even when the culprits get arrested, eventually they would be back roaming the streets,” he said, further requesting for the Special Support Group (SSG) in Mahalapye. The SSG is the paramilitary branch of the Botswana Police Service. Disho further bemoaned that the division of District Councils in the delimitation didn't help that much as their budgets are still very low. He further said despite the move, some decisions are still made in Serowe and called on the President to intervene. For his part, Boko said though he still had intentions of visiting Mahalapye soon, he had to come earlier as Kgosi Tshipe Tshipe met with him in Gaborone and asked him to visit the village before visiting any other place. “I'm here to share your happiness. I'm here for the young ones to look at themselves and believe anything is possible. There is no child who isn't smart. Some would say your child failed because they aren't clever. There is no such because every child has their God-given talents. It is this talent that makes them clever,” the President said.
Boko said children have to be taken care of and eat properly for their first seven years. He said it is for this reason that they introduced the Ministry of Child Welfare and Basic Education. “One of the things to be achieved through this ministry is ensuring that once mothers give birth, they leave the hospital with diapers, milk, and other necessities for the first three months. On the fourth month, the mother would receive at least P300 monthly for the child,” he said. Boko reiterated that they would deliver on their elections pledges including paying the elderly P1,800. He said there is no doubt that they will honour their promises despite the coffers currently being in a bad state.