Victoria Falls (New Ziana) – Botswana’s ruling party, the BDP, is looking forward to continuing working with the ruling Zanu PF party for the foreseeable future because of its people centred socio-economic development policies and championing of regional interests, President Mokgweetsi Masisi said on Thursday.
Zimbabwe is heading for by-elections next month and crucial general elections in 2023.
In light of that, President Masisi wished President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his ruling Zanu PF party well in the upcoming elections.
He said the BDP, like Zanu PF, was also a liberation movement, hence it was more inclined to deal with like-minded parties.
“Let me end by wishing you the best of success in your upcoming by-elections and the general elections for we are unashamed to want to deal with people who are serious,” he said at a welcome reception hosted in his honour.
“Tell the world, that it is no accident that Botswana is next to Zimbabwe and Zimbabwe is next to Botswana, tell the world that it is not an accident that we are related, tell the world that it is not an accident that we are together, we feel the anguish and pain that is in Zimbabwe, we feel every inch of it. What you feel as happiness and excitement extends to us, what you feel as prosperity is our prosperity
“This extends to our international relations, this extends to our economic activities and these are documented and we must flesh out through instruments such as SADC, our instruments of cooperation such AU agenda 2063, our instruments of cooperation such as the AfCTA.”
Masisi said Botswana had redefined its relationship with Zimbabwe when his administration assumed office, in recognition of the Second Republic’s economic turn-around efforts, among other notable achievements.
Relations between Zimbabwe and Botswana grew strained under the First Republic and then Botswana President Ian Khama.
“Upon assumption of office and preceding our general election, we in the new leadership gravitated our political party first, the BDP, along a new course and direction which is reflected in the way we relate with Zimbabwe different from the way we used to. Did you know that was not an accident, it was out of deliberate, logically thought through determined change of course of action,” he said.
“So we changed course, did you know that yes we may be relatively younger but we are not any less wiser, the difference in age between me and my dear brother is 20 years, he went into prison before I was born, got out of prison and studied before I was born, but it does not stop us from embracing one another. It is important not for ourselves, two human beings and characters, it is important for our nations.”
New Ziana
