LEADER OF OPPOSITION (MR BOKO): Thank you very much Mr Speaker. I rise under Standing Order 9.3.2 to make this statement. I thank you for the opportunity you have given me to address this House on the tragedy that befell this nation just a few days ago. Ponder this. Young people full of promise and vitality sat their final high school leaving examinations at Matsha Senior Secondary School. They looked forward to a bright future as engaged and innovative citizens of their country. Their parents looked forward to meeting and welcoming them home after months of absence. Many families looked forward to happy reunions with their children.
Unbeknown to all and indeed to many Batswana, there was a tragedy in the making. It had long been coming. It began when the government neglected its responsibility to ensure the safety and security of hundreds of students both in ensuring they received the highest quality of education available and in providing for a safe and dignified means of transportation for them. It continued when state action or inaction conspired to load over 126 students together with their luggage onto a truck. The storms of catastrophe had long been looming large on the horizon.
