Cynthia Thanda

The swell of the clouds signified a nod from the ancestors and joy that Batswana exhibited for His Excellency Advocate Duma Gideon Boko as he was sworn in at the National Stadium, Gaborone on 8^th November 2024.

Advocate Boko who has become Botswana’s 6^th President had the crowd beaming with excitement, hope, ambition and a promise of a better tomorrow. He has inspired Batswana to be resilient and patient as well as the whole of Africa.

During his speech, Boko expressed how he was profoundly humbled. “In our culture, a child is born to a community and raised by a village. It takes a village, sometimes several villages. A few decades back, a boy was born to the small village of Mahalapye. He played in those dusty plains, walked barefooted to school like the rest of the children, made friends, laughed and played, learned.

“He was growing, nestled in the safety of a community, growing tall, growing big. But could he grow up? This question, happily, is not mine to answer. I leave it to the village, to the country, and to the world. I stand before you to celebrate the very foundation of the Republic; community, love, respect, botho, ubuntu. I stand before you to celebrate the esteemed and paramount office of citizen of the Republic of Botswana.

I am because you are. You raised this boy. You nurtured this boy. This boy grew right before you. And it gives me pride, therefore, when I look into your faces and you look back at me and you say. That’s my boy!” the President said as the crowd roared in kind, chanting, ‘That’s my boy!

“And you say so because you raised the boy. You say so because you loved the boy. And you say so because deep down you know this boy loves you back. And you now understand if you didn’t before, this boy loves you deeply. This boy cares for you. He is your boy. This is indeed a historic moment, most humbling and most sobering. It is one of those rarefied moments that can only be acknowledged in retrospect.

“It is a story baked into the history of this country from inception. Where this story will take us, only God knows. This story encompasses more than what one man can comprehend. It reaches far across the sand-baked sands of Karakubis to the forests of Kavimba, from the acacias of Oliphant’s Drift to the shepherds’ trees of Omawenen, from the plains of Mabule to the breach of Kazungula.

“This is your story. Embrace it. Be a part of it. Acknowledge the role that you played and continue to play in its unfolding. Stand hand-in-hand and shoulder-to-shoulder in this hour of great blessing. It is with a deep sense of appreciation that I stand before you today, the living embodiment of your deep and true resolve. Together we usher in a new political dawn.”

According to Boko, the inauguration colorfully and poignantly demonstrated the human spirit and its desire to live in dignity, in peace, with hope, and in unity with fellow humans. This desire is a powerful force for social reconstruction.

“You, my fellow Batswana, are the true architects of this day, a day that will forever be etched in the annals of our history and the history of Africa and the history of the world. This is Botswana.”

Boko spoke with pride as he reminded Batswana of how they have yet again become an intriguing as well as an instructive case study of democracy at work, not in abstraction, but for the world to learn from. He mentioned that the world watches with an eagerness, ready to see how the story of this beautiful country progresses.

“For nearly three score years, our democracy remained unbroken, unproven, and untested. On the 30th of October this year, together, we tested this democracy in a novel way. We tested the peace and stability of our daily lives. We tested the liberty and security of every person in this beautiful land. Invigilated by the world, we waited for the outcome of our efforts.

“It is with pride, and perhaps even a tinge of relief, that I can proudly say we have passed this test with flying colours. We toiled internally and externally. We tussled with a decision that weighed the weight of 2.7 million people. It was not an easy decision. I know, even now, a little voice lingered in the back of your mind, asking you, did I make the right choice? You will answer that for yourself in the next five years. That is the beauty of democracy.

“With confidence, I dare say to you, with the same care and diligence that you raised a young boy from Mahalapye, you will create the Botswana we all desire. I dare say to you, you have given me strength and hope, and I am prepared to return strength and hope to you a thousandfold. I dare say that to every person, young and old, that today is possible only because of the collective effort that went into yesterday. I dare say that everything is possible for you tomorrow. So my beautiful and joyous fellow citizens, I say to you, dare to dream about a brighter tomorrow, and let’s walk there together.

There is so much love in this country, and in this world. If I could, I would invite all persons from all over the world to celebrate with us today. Our differences and our similarities are what make this life interesting and beautiful. Glory be to God. To those that did not live to see today’s propitious moment, today’s overcast morning, we feel your presence in our hearts. This day is yours as well. Celebrate with us as we honour your contribution, having raised the many of us who remain. Your love was ecta non-verbal.

President Boko went on to thank former President, Dr Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi for the statesmanship he exhibited and encouraged the citizens of Botswana to show him love and appreciation.

“Please give him some love. Please hug him in your soul. Please embrace him in your heart. Rre Masisi, Botswana has set the example of a true democracy at work for the whole world to see and emulate. For that singular act, the former president will remain inscribed prominently in our hearts, he has written his name in flaming letters into the portals of eternity”.

Turning to his message, he said it was that, “this is one republic, one nation under God. Lines are drawn in the sand and blown away by the wind. We cannot allow ourselves to be drawn into squabbles about where the line was and who stood on which side. The message I impart is unity, togetherness. We are the village that the future will look back to and either praise or look back in lamentation.

“Let’s send our roaring voices into the future to be the wind beneath our sails. Let’s carry those who came before us, those we have today, and those who will come after us to greater heights than we have scaled. Today, let’s continue to create a history that we will all be proud of.”

Some of the guests who came to show their support to His Excellency Advocate Duma Gideon Boko included Presidents of Zimbabwe, Dr Emerson Mnangagwa; Zambia, Hakainde Chilema; Namibia, Dr Nangolo Mbumb; Prime Ministers of the Kingdom of Eswatini, Right Honourable Mr. Russell Dlamini;  Mozambique, Mr. Andrano Malelaan; Deputy President of Kenya, Kidura Kiniki; Deputy President of South Africa, Paul Mashathile; Deputy Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Lesotho, Mpumeng Jastina Majara, Deputy Prime Minister of the United Republic of Tanzania, Dr Doto Bashak as well as the President of South Africa’s radical Economic Freedom Fighters, Julius Malema whose status, and others, as a prohibited immigrant, had been revoked by President Boko ahead of the inauguration.

The third, fourth and fifth Presidents of Botswana – Dr Festus G.Mogae, Lieutenant General Dr Seretse Khama Ian Khama, and Dr Mokgweetsi E.K  Masisi – also graced the ceremony with positive aura to show Batswana the true spirit of unity and democracy.

The ceremony was spiced by local entertainers among them, Dato Seiko and Mpho Sebina, who sang with their melodious voices that had the crowd joining in; Poet Kopanang Tito who made Batswana proud of their heritage, and other performers such as Mabutswapele Traditional Group and Mafitlhakgosi Traditional Dance Group, which had the crowds jumping and dancing.

Botswana continues to showcase its maturity and spirit of togetherness.

(C) TPA2024