This marks a great celebratory instant to congratulate our fifth president who hails down south. A first alumna from one of the local varsities to ascend to the highest office in the land. A black man who contended his course through the slim, slender and svelte doors and narrow bridges to hit his terminus. The transition to the finish wasn’t as smooth, suave and politic as everyone may have conceived and esteemed. It was through dedication and perseverance that you managed to scoop this prize of leading, conducting, directing and guiding a state.
Mr President, I am not reflecting back to critique your predecessors or whatsoever. My bone of contention in my personal capacity as an ordinary earthling is that, in your road map to the promised land of Canaan; the land of milk and honey, kindly consider, account and weigh but never limit yourself to the following vital economic and social aspects:
GOOD GOVERNANCE- As citizens our aspiration is to have a good conduct and management of public affairs. We need a better process and platform of decision making and its implementation. We need transparency, accountability and rule of law. We need justice and peace that protects individual’s human rights and civil liberties. We need an impartial legal system that protects the rights and civil liberties of all citizens particularly minorities.
CONSULTATIONS– Through consultations, the public’s input on matters affecting them are sought. Consultation helps in many ways amongst others being to improve efficiency, transparency and public involvement in large scale projects or laws and policies. You need to meet, discuss and get advice whenever necessary for ease of problem solving and other instrumental aspects of decision making. Batswana prefer it when engaged in any interesting matters notwithstanding their political movements affiliations.
FREEDOM OF THE PRESS– Print and electronic media houses should exercise their rights freely. No trepidations and menaces of some sort should be imposed to keep them at bay as the practice would potentially compromise our right to information as citizens. They should be allowed to look under carpets when a need arises. Remember that “a threatened dog dissipates its brevity”.
WORKFORCE MOTIVATION– The workforce in general including all sectors needs a conducive working environment. Working under duress begets low productivity. Good pay and decent housing remains the highly regarded motives. Review, analyse and implement new reforms to compensate the current status quo. Married couples need to stay together.
GRAFT- BURSTING ENDEAVOR-The DCEC and other law enforcement agencies need to preserve their mandate of conducting a critical examination of the systems and procedures (policy, legislation, organisational procedures and institutions) involved in a defined area of activity within an organisation. It needs to identify existing weaknesses in the system and to recommend methods of improvement as soon as possible. The fighting of this phenomenon shouldn’t leave much to be desired. We need to have confidence in our public funds and resources custodians. Let the implicated parties face the wrath of the law.
REVITALISATION OF BARGAINING COUNCIL– The council’s mandate is sternly to deal with collective agreements, solve labour disputes, establish various schemes and make proposals on labour policies and laws. This is news to us and we are very confounded and dumbfounded by its gross failure. What exactly went amiss? No more roundtable discussions and if any there is always a debacle. Some newspapers reported Government’s intention and plans to kill bargaining councils. They shared that government was busy working behind the scenes to de-register the public service bargaining council. If these reports are anything to go by, then there is a serious problem. I foresee a dead end, an imminent cul de sac in our labour disputes.
REVIEW CRIMINAL PENALTIES-Criminals are roaming the streets, murderers are sharing cups of tea with the grieving families, drug dealers are trending on national television, and assaulters are on the loose and savouring their misdeeds just because the penalties are insufficient. The cushioned penalties seldom play a critical role in shaping our state justice. In an attempt to abate crime to be minimal, the government needs to impose strong penalties as restitution for wrongdoings. The penalties should be more than sufficient to discourage and deter the offenders from criminal behaviour.
POVERTY ERADICATION- Measures to lift people out of poverty should be fortified and enforced fully. We need reports of poverty eradication success rates for public input during evaluation process. There should be timely evaluation of pro-poor development policies and strategies in key government departments. You should have a strategic approach to the programme as it remains the greatest global challenge facing the world today. The existing programmes should be highly monitored, evaluated and potentially be replaced if a need be.
INDUSRTIALIZATION OF OUR COUNTRY – Create a manufacturing environment in this country. We want to pride ourselves with home-made products like our neighbouring South Africa. We have plenty of resources and skills but the limiting factor remains the environment and market. Please open doors for Batswana to market their produce through established cordial and bi-relations between other countries within the region and beyond. Establishment of an industrial city like Johannesburg to South Africa will bring more reward. Also consider deterrent of cynics and hunger stricken investors from doing business here.
MOST IMPORTANTLY LOVE BATSWANA-let love lead, love your country and its people, believe in your countrymen, consult Batswana, engage Batswana, empower Batswana, honour Batswana, prioritise Batswana, give land to Batswana, let Batswana have pride in their resources, let Batswana enjoy decent education, uplift the living standards of Batswana, create jobs for Batswana, eat with Batswana and all shall be well.
Keodumetse Kidoh Boikano- Office Administrator Rakops Primary Hospital
For compliments, comments and threats contact me on 71540828/77925645/73086752
Email: kidohboikano@yahoo.com
Welcome on board mr president
