Newly inaugurated Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi has arrived in the country for a one day State visit.
The plane carrying President Masisi touched down Kenneth Kaunda International Airport at 10:53 hours local time.
He was received upon arrive by Foreign Affairs Minister Joseph Malajni, Lusaka Province Minister Bowman Lusambo, Senior Government Officials and staff from the Botswana Embassy.
Speaking to journalists shortly upon arrival, President Masisi disclosed that he is in the country to strengthen and broaden the exiting bilateral ties between the two SADC countries.
He stressed that Botswana is committed to further deepen and grow the existing relations.
President Masisi said he wants to reassure President Lungu of his government’s resolve to continue with the projects embarked on by the former President Ian Khama.
This is the first visit President Masisi has taken to Zambia after assuming office on Sunday 1st April 2018.
President Masisi took office following the stepping down of former President Ian Khama who stepped down on Saturday 31st, 2018 ahead of next year’s elections.
President Masisi is expected to fly back home this afternoon after concluding his working visit.
Leaders who work hard have not time for 3 day working visits or 3 days AWOL!!
Botswana, at its independence in 1965, one of the poorest countries in Africa, is today one of the most affluent. It’s what leaders can do, if they are good leaders.
Presidents flocking to Zambia…nice
Botswana is an exception in Africa. It has pioneered a way of partnering with the capitalists, in order to ensure equitable distribution of wealth. Elsewhere in Africa, the story is different, the capitalists haul in their catch and fly home with the loot.
The Botswana government did not have to do anything dramatic to swing the pendulum in favor of the people of that country. They did did not insult the capitalists or call them names such as “imperialists.” They actually made friends with them. What the Botswana government did was only to take care of their side of things, and the capitalists their. They thus have been able to gain the respect of the capitalists. And things have been running smooth since. The capitalists are happy, but so are the people of Botswana. Elsewhere in Africa, greed seems to have taken the upper hand. The leaders of most other African countries have joined hands with the capitalists to loot the wealth of their countries, leaving their people stagnated in dire poverty.
Edgar is saved from that impeachment.
Ian Khama best president stepped.
Ba Edgar can’t do that.
We in Zambia recall a time when we kicked-out the white farmer, thinking he was a nuisance to have around; only to find out, a few year later, that we were running out of food. We started importing food, using money borrowed from the IMF and the World bank. In our excitement, we kicked-out the capitalists. We called it Zambianization, indigenization, nationalization… all those many “ions…”, only to discover that we had run out of the very basic of commodities. Our foreign reserves dried-up. We became bankrupt. May be so called “little” Botswana can teach us something big.
CONTINUED FROM ABOVE: Our fingers burnt, we called the capitalist to come back, and told him to take our resources free of charge, if only he could put a few of us in employment.
Already out to play!
Zambia, at its independence in 1964, one of the richest countries in Africa, is today one of the poorest. It’s what leaders can do, if they are poor leaders.
Botswana always has good leadership; sure this boy will make their country stronger. Unlike thieves who just wake-up to Drink Whiskey and Open New Stupid Districts, yet they can’t even Pay Council workers in Kabwe??. So stupid that they think a district is Job creation without realizing they are extending the cost of Payroll for local government and also Capital Expenditures to construct offices/workers houses. Zambia has wrong LEADERSHIP.
WELL COME TO THE LAND OF POSSIBILITIES……THE LAND OF WORK AND JOY IN UNITY
WELCOME TO THE LAND OF POSSIBILITIES……THE LAND OF WORK AND JOY IN UNITY
Enjoy you PFs. It’s your week.
President Masisi took office following the stepping down of former President Ian Khama who stepped down on Saturday 31st, 2018 ahead of next year’s elections.
SATURDAY 31st, 2018 …what..???????
If only Botswana had Zambia’s water, its rivers and lakes, what a greener pasture it would have become. Zambia is yet to capture the reality of its economic potential. Until then, we shall remain poor and hungry, Zambian water more scarce than diamonds.
You what? How’s that we don’t experience disasters like volcanos, tornadoes, tsunamis and such other things like the California fires, Katarina, earthquakes? Would we recover if ever we were hit by such?
people that are serious with business..no wasting tax payers’ money with huge delegations and spending nights unnecessarily in expensive places ..way to go!
The whole government including his excellence ECL and PF service chiefs went to welcome a racist Indian at the airport the other day but only sent ministers to welcome the president of a good neighboring country? I don’t know why in this day and era we still have so much inferiority complex about ourselves as black people. In my opinion, the president of Botswana deserves the sort of welcome that was accorded to that rapist Indian. The Botswana president obviously has come here for serious business not dancing around and holding parties that’s why he was sidelined like that. We can learn a lot from Botswana but alas we just want to continue being slaves of anyone whose skin is lighter than ours. Note also that I don’t support huge delegations at KKIA.
Zambia could be avenging for something, otherwise Tswana presidents have always been welcomed with all the pomp and fanfare we are capable of.
My president, these are the people you stick to like glue. With all the short comings of Kagame, I like his focus on national development and what he has achieved so far. Learn something from his developmental agenda. Deep down my heart I know that you can make it but what is pulling you down is your past. Be brave enough to face your past and only then will you move on. One important decision you have to make is to choose between your cooked friends who are good for nothing and the people of Zambia. That is for you to decide but your decision will either lift you up or bring you down. I rest my case.
@ 7 mwakale
I hear, the language of Kigali is exclusively Kigali’s. The rest of Rwanda speaks a different version of Kenyarwanda – life in the countryside is still a torment – so I am told.
Stability is not the responsibility of presidents alone. Citizens must play their part. How do you develop when people keep on vandalizing infrastructure? For the past two weeks people in chingola have been burning water supply pipes. These lines are supposed to supply water to areas that have not been receiving water like Chikola. Money is being spent and people are deprived of water. You keep on throwing litter anyhow. You continue stealing from work in spite of your fat salary. Tswanas are humble and patriotic. KK tried to control your pilfering and drunkness. He tried but you’re incorrigible. You’ll continue laughing at yourselves until the end of the world.
You are absolutely right; Ndanje Khakis!
Ndanje Khakis: Obviously u hv a conscience that troubles you. State power in wrong hands does not produce desirable results. The state has power to sanction those who litter in order to change behaviour. It’s the church that prays for you in order to change. Zambians aren’t fundamentally different from those countries that ensure that there is basic hygiene. I hv seen a judge throw litter from her car at St Mary’s secondary school with my own eyes.
There are people in this world who will never see anything positive. The best one can do is to ignore such people and continue working hard. My road need to be worked on.
This visiting President has nothing to do back home
Whatever he came to do must be very important. Same day visit!
President Lungu should have gone to receive president Mokgweetsi Masisi of Botswana. Not going to receive the ceremonial president of India. I like President Lungu, but the Botswana people are our true business partners and neighbors. Africa needs to follow East Asia’s economic example. We are the one continent with all the world’s resources. Today I am really upset at president Lungu and the crazy PF advisers. Will forgive him tomorrow.
When Loziz talk about democracy and economics, their nearest comparable is Botswana, where there are good examples of the two matters. I pretty mwine Luapula whose nearest comparable is Katanga Zaire or is it Congo fimo fimo where there are none!
If I may underscore one more of Botswana’s keynote achievements, relative to other governments in the region. It is the way the Botswana government has so successfully eradicated discrimination along tribal or political lines. In Botswana even political leaders are treated with dignity. Development has gone to every corner of the country, and not just to a few favored regions. That is leadership.
Welcome Mr. President! As you interact, please be aware that we have a tribal party in Zambia which keeps on losing elections and it will never win any!
HaDemonic party!
He was received upon arrive?????????????
… Thoughts from DR CM. Did , this President Masisi by coincidence come and meet the president of India? … anyhow , as the proverb states : “all is grist for the mill” …
I have so much for respect for Tswana leadership. True leadership aimed at serving the people. Tswana Leaders do not hide under presidential immunity as only thieves have got something to hide.
With the Tswana no ex president is entitled to a house nor other perks that our greedy thieves enjoy. Nothing will change as we long we continue to operate under a porous constitution and laws that allow leaders to get away with plunder disguised as presidential immunity.
Ba Kambwili now worth over 5 million that he did not have prior to being elected into public office and Gary is now his best buddy.
The Botswana government has relatively delivered on its mandate over the years since independence in 1966. It has made some remarkable strides in key areas such as free education, infrustructure development, health, water, unemployment, poverty, inequality, democracy and the rule of law.
However, she is not without faults of her own. Critics and other analysts have observed some grey areas in some other areas of governance and leadership . Some level of corruption in some government agencies has been speculated particularly the intelligence units. They also cry foul about dwindling educational standards as well as wastagies in grandiose public projects.
All in all the country has received appreciable international ratings in the majority of development indices. There is more to be…
Thaelo Karume: Thanks for that. Dwindling educational standards? Is it due to shortage of teachers or under-funding? They are flesh and blood and even the best of intentions/ planning comes short. I understand they hv an aggressive agenda to diversify source of hard currency as diamonds are forever only in James Bond movies. Projections are that diamonds will run out by 2035.