SONNY SERITE
Leader of the Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD) Advocate Sidney Pilane has said unlike other opposition politicians who have offered sweeping responses to President Mokgweetsi Masisi’s maiden State of the Nation Address (SONA), he finds nothing exciting to deliberate on because, ‘‘Until all our people exist in reasonably decent conditions, all the other things contained in the State of the Nation Address will not matter.’’
Pilane, whose party is still reeling from the shock of being expelled from the opposition bloc, Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), told this publication over the weekend that saying anything more about President Masisi’s SONA would be meaningless. ‘‘Relatively few people live well off the resources of a rich country which belong equally to all, a tragic sin for which we deserve punishment. If we want peace, safety, security and happiness for all, which is what government should be about, we must fix this and fix it fast,’’ Pilane said.
The BMD President said leaders must learn to put the interests of the nation ahead of their own personal interests. ‘‘We must learn to put first things first. Batho and not ourselves first because without that, we have not begun. This I say with great respect and intend no disrespect toward anybody. God help us and our country,’’ Pilane said .
Since President Masisi delivered his maiden State of the Nation Address (SONA) on November 5, political parties, non-governmental organisations and trade unions have been offering their responses to the address which Masisi used to openly tell the nation about his soured relations with his predecessor Ian Khama.