All Quotes

"Practical stem education is key. Last year I worked on the GH4STEM JUNIORS challenge which featured 65% of girls; I believe the percentage of involvement can be improved further through support learning in communities, constant encouragement and practical learning processes to get many young girls interested in STEM."

"In the case of Zimbabwe, what we intend to do is try our best to persuade organisations that are capable of helping like the World Bank and IMF to make a meaningful contribution.."

"Don’t forget that my family is well represented in the public space. There is no need for me to be on the news."

"The fear of backlash from some in our own party or the fear of further punishment should not cause us to abandon the ideals that attracted us to the BDP. Fairness, integrity, firmness, collective democracy, truth and service are some of the ideals that we have promised to uphold and continue to uphold."

"To throw away our stand would amount to the abandonment of our core values. We will have given up what we can become, as a people."

"Ours is not a war on individuals."

"It is a direct and fair challenge on decisions we believe contravene the spirit of our democratic tradition. It is not a disrespect for our leadership; it is the honouring of the teachings of our elders. It is not empty defiance; it is a stand on the firm foundations that form the promise of an uplifting future for generations to come. It is not a selfish quest to thrust a colleague onto the corridors of power; it is a patient faith in which our colleague and candidate is aware he may lose both the case and the opportunity to serve in parliament. It is not an abandonment of the ways our great movement, the BDP; it is a revival of the high vows of our part."

"We lost the first case but we must not impugn the integrity of our judiciary ÔÇô they are learned, experienced and wise old men and women that deserve our respect. Our values mean we cannot allow resentment and bitterness to corrode the force of our good intents. We will not lose hope. We do not see ourselves as victims but as stewards. We will not tire, because all that is right will outlast even the mountains. And we will not mourn in defeat, or be triumphalist in victory."

"I don’t think nor believe that my friend has struggled against the President nor the constitution of Botswana. Neither of us has seen the unfolding of this matter in those terms, but that is a matter that deserves to be treated on its own on another day."

"What pained me, of course, was to see a young luminary portrayed in ways other than in terms of the talent, character and hope that he represents."

"Holding a position in the BDP or in party politics has never been a driving force behind Motswaledi’s vision. His aspiration is to serve, like a true servant, the people of Botswana on or out of an office platform. His future, that of potential service to the people of Botswana has escalated in its glow."

"Self-discipline and self-belief remain gaps that we need to work on to realise our full potential as a generation, both of which are within reach."

"I have done community service everywhere I have been. I organised classes in general knowledge, life skills and mathematics. I am planning to institutionalise the community service format and replicate it in other parts of Botswana"

"We are on a journey to build a new Botswana, and this new Botswana requires all of us, regardless of political affiliation or background. It demands that we all stand together, work with determination and purpose. We aspire to build a nation governed with integrity, excellence, and one that is admired across the world."

"A country that treats every citizen with fairness, unity, and equality. A nation where people share a common spirit, where there is progress. A country where every child and every adult has an equal opportunity to achieve a good life."

"As a nation, we still import over P6.6 billion in food annually, that is a challenge and a massive opportunity."

"It calls on every Motswana, every entrepreneur, farmer and investor to partner with government in building a stronger nation."

"We carry a vision of Botswana as the best managed country on the African continent, a model of fairness, unity and shared prosperity."

"These reforms aim to ensure our farmers can produce competitively and sustainably."

"This is not just a statistic. It is a national emergency,” Mr. Gaolathe stated. “Youth unemployment undermines our economic growth, threatens social stability, and erodes the hope of an entire generation. If we are to safeguard the future of this country, we must act with purpose and urgency."

"No country can succeed when half its population is left behind."

"Botswana must adopt bold and innovative solutions to drive sustainable growth."

"This includes leveraging technology, promoting entrepreneurship, reforming the education system, and fostering partnerships that deliver real impact."

"Let this report not gather dust on the shelf. Let it be the foundation of a national movement to uplift our youth and secure a prosperous future for all Batswana."

"We need to step back as a country and decide for ourselves, who characterises the ideal partner for Botswana as a nation. Who is the right partner for the government, our state-owned enterprises, and the private sector?"

"I am embarrassed to say this, but we need a partner with deep pockets."

"We, as the incoming government, are saying we can dream higher than that: 1,200 megawatts are far from enough."

"We believe that this country has the potential to be producing 8,000 megawatts of power for export."

"Africa does not need sympathy. It needs infrastructure, capital, and execution. The private sector must rise — not politely, but boldly."

"To turn Africa’s large youth population into a positive force, we need smart planning and investment to create the 450 million jobs expected by 2050."

"Whether you’re a multinational giant or a startup with a disruptive idea — Botswana is ready to work with you. This is a rare opportunity to co-create the future with us."

"Let us not merely imagine Africa’s potential. Let us unleash it. Let us not think in billions, but in trillions."

"This is the decade where Africa stops asking for permission — and starts writing its own script; a decade where businesses don't just participate in Africa’s transformation — they lead it."

"We can no longer rely on business-as-usual approaches."

"A diversified, inclusive, future-ready Botswana is within reach, if we choose to build it together."

"Every pula spent must deliver measurable public value."

"Traditionally, the type of funding that has been available has been primarily debt capital, loan capital funds that require property development. The system has been making this available to our artists, but you cannot fund the creative sector through loan capital."

"The digitalisation ecosystem is lagging in this country. It is not just about building technology infrastructure, but also physical infrastructure. We need to find ways to develop studios, music hubs, diamond cities, and museums that would attract global visitors,"

"We are well placed to deepen the relationship with the African Development Bank to support private sector initiatives."

"We have to be optimistic because, as I continue to say, we’ve been blessed with all the ingredients we need to build our country. The first of our priorities is to halt the haemorrhaging of our fiscus [treasury], because even though Botswana over the last few decades has outperformed everyone else on the African continent, we need to accept that there has been a period of lapse which has taken place, arguably, over the last 12 years or so."

"The fiscal discipline we used to have has broken down. In the past it was accepted that we don’t allow politics to interfere with the work of the professionals that manage the economy, particularly the Finance Ministry; we contaminated that culture; we allowed politics to make the economic decisions."

"We threw away priorities and the emphasis on investing for the future – such as in infrastructure – in favour of immediate consumption. We allowed corruption to set in. So our first priority is to halt all this, and I believe that given that we have been there [in office] a few months, we’ve already done well on that front."

"I've always felt like this was my country. Please don't send me back." ([02:45])"

"I just looked at her with this sadness...And she said, go. Just go. Go, go, go,"

"It was just incredible...I felt whole"

"There's just so much that one person can take""

"I started making phone calls...I started calling Mogadishu, the airport" ([16:30])"

"We all cried and jumped for joy""

"I realized in no place else in the world would a story like this with an ending like that be possible other than the United States of America, the greatest nation in the world,"

""I felt like the love of my life had just broken my heart." ([16:50])"