This is what the former president of Botswana posted on his Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/667630409972128/posts/3187783494623461/?d=n. In 1966, the over fifty four year olds today will remember the occasion when Bechuanaland Protectorate became the Republic of Botswana; setting us on a path of self-rule, determined as a people to carve out a country that reflects for ourselves and generations to come, a democracy that embraces all our values, traditions and culture. Despite the tremendous challenges we faced in those early years after gaining independence, we managed to conquer them to become a shining example earning an enviable reputation in the process by laying a solid foundation based on the core principles of democracy.
Just four years ago in 2016 we celebrated our fiftieth anniversary of independence demonstrating countrywide how we had become a united and proud nation as we also came to realize our Vision 2016 and embarked on our new Vision 2036. It was an intensely proud and humbling time for me to preside over that occasion as I recalled that it was my father who presided over the start of our journey as a nation fifty years prior.
So today fifty four years later and during this time in particular, we should not forget and lose sight of those values we laid as our road to guide us. We must not abandon and erode our long and hard fought for democracy, nor should we abandon the core of our culture and democracy which is the people. We should not be led into temptation driven by greed and self-interest, for those in authority are servants of the people and should not treat people as their servants. Tolerance, respect, and compassion translate into Botho which will guide our interaction with others as well as our belief in God and adhering to the constitution of our faith.
I wish you all peace and prosperity and please stay safe. Happy Independence Day!
#HappyIndependenceDay
#StrongerTogether
#54Years
