All Quotes

"Procurement is not the prerogative of the commander of the BDF. Procurement has a structure and it is not ad hoc. Procurement structures are in place now and working well. These structures involve the BDF, the defence minister and the permanent secretary. The minister presents to Cabinet as well as the Defence Council….While I was the commander, I stopped the middlemen who are also called agents, from calling the shots. Agents are only needed when you need more information about certain equipment."

"The problem stems not from lack of weapons for the department of wildlife and national parks, but from an intelligence service that serves individual interests."

"I must, however, caution that DCEC, of the two, is one such institution which will, for any given reason, have files for all its citizens, including even our number one citizen. Because of the nature of their work, such information should be accorded the highest security classification. DISS has to be very clear on this as failure to understand this mandate to its fullest and accord DCEC its sacred responsibility may threaten national security. DISS needs to tone down and allow established legislative structures to help on the way forward if there are issues that warrant discovery."

"This is a unit where team spirit is essential, and with the trust I gained from my mates and principals, my leadership abilities were testament, to my then and current professional sphere."

"Unlike synthetics, natural diamonds from Botswana have a compelling story rooted in nature, ethics and stability. Ours are more than just a commodity, and this is the reason that we have considered to be a permanent feature at this particular show to attract and retain many of our devoted customers who happen to be Americans."

"I have seen it grow beyond military to military cooperation and bring other entities into the program."

"I came first wearing the uniform and am on a fact-finding mission to look for the areas we can partner with North Carolina and bring the North Carolina (state government) leadership to Botswana someday."

"It’s an ambition. It’s a goal we have set and that everyone will benefit, especially the younger generation."

"Education is one sector that we know North Carolina specializes in, especially when it comes to research. Botswana has been involved with NC for a long time in our work on agriculture."

"We have (the SPP) knowledge and experience, and are looking for a partner in development, and working together, we believe in transforming the economy and building strategic partnerships."

"You are more than welcome to do business and invest in Botswana, we will try everything possible to make it as attractive as possible."

"Imagine a country which has more cattle than people itself… there are more cattle than us."

"The largest population of elephants are found in Botswana. Currently there are about 40,000 herds of elephants roaming the world. And about 16,000 of them are found in Botswana. Botswana has dedicated about 40% of its land mass to wildlife conservation. We are very proud of that."

"North Carolina and Botswana have a lot of similarities and can partner with mutual benefits, exchange notes, and we can learn from each other."

"The promotion of the Botswana diamond for development story is one of my key priority areas as I look forward to promoting Botswana’s interests."

"BDF has been hit with recurring incidents of homicides and suicide across the country and even outside the country, despite the institutions efforts to offer psycho social support to the army officers. It is disheartening that the disciplined forces are involved in serious crime of ending lives."

"But behaviour of some members is unheard of and questionable. As disciplined forces, their duty does not allow them to lack discipline. They have been trained even on policing and public safety, and when they turn around to commit murder, either being suicide or killing of another person and have misconduct, this is a disgrace and disappointing."

"The environment requires the leadership to pay close attention to several essential elements that play central roles in an effectively managed organisation. The BDF has since taken a deliberate decision to enhance the psych-social support services capacity in the army."

"We have never neglected the psychological and social welfare of the army and we will take all necessary measures to ensure prudent psycho-social experiences. We promise to engage the psych-social support services more to address issues."

"You have entrusted me with the leadership of our nation’s most formidable instrument of national power."

"I accept the appointment as the seventh commander of the Botswana Defence Force with unwavering commitment to the constitution of the republic, the President of the Republic of Botswana and the democratic ethos of our nation and to the preservation of peace, sovereignty and human dignity."

"This was not a mere appointment but rather the manifestation of destiny itself."

"Blessed be God, so that we can, in a democratic and pluralistic society, express our thoughts, and we must always give thanks for the freedom of expression."

"What kind of pluralism and democracy are we talking about, when today automatically one becomes an enemy if you do not agree? We see laws of dubious legal legitimacy, based on unacceptable positivism; public policies are proposed that ignore basic human rights; the Church is attacked and there is the violation of its rights, where the attacks are unjustly ridiculing religious values and those who profess them. One cannot openly pursue believers, but they are intimidated, the right to act according to one's conscience is not respected, and this creates a climate of fear, where one can no longer profess faith and act accordingly."

"Reparations are just about having good cooperation, investments"

"I think we have this openness to grow together. And it is a spirit that should also spread to several European countries where there are no superiors and inferiors"

"There was also the understanding that Portugal was a country that also needed to grow, to free itself"

"We need effective social cohesion so that our young people and community members are not engaged in the terrorist cause"

"This is a model of so-called hidden terrorism, where no agenda is presented, but there are continuous terrorist acts against the population and institutions"

"Socialist countries thought they were able to help newly independent countries to develop or consolidate their independence, but that was not supported by the facts"

"Those who do violent things are bad people, not good people"

"Bad people can’t stop us from doing what is good. Let us focus on the campaign and not let ourselves be distracted. Let all parties and citizens work together for the best!"

"In the name of unity, we silence critical voices. In the name of stability, we close spaces for renewal. In the name of continuity, we fail to create spaces for the active participation of young people and women in decision-making processes"

"We know that technology has advanced, and we have not kept up. Therefore, our combat tools need to be revised. And the way we connect with each other also needs to be revised"

"Without forgetting just one thing: we are working for the people"

"We must remember that we were born of the people and that we must remain with them"

"The entire debate should be about finding solutions, recrimination, not recrimination as tactics, but finding solutions"

"Always discuss to find the best solutions, the best laws that can be well implemented by institutions that must contribute to the creation of credible institutions, so that we remain united"

"Africa is winning the battle to resolve violent conflicts on the continent"

"Africans share the same destiny, and as such they need to unite and act collectively"

"No African country can hide behind sovereignty to oppress"

"Zimbabwe does not have the capacity to implement the reforms agreed upon alone. It needs international support for that. Your support would be critical in mobilizing bridge financing, setting aside funds for arrears clearance at multilateral financial institutions"

"It is crucial that we recognise that in many of our countries we witnessed the weakening of democratic institutions 26 July 2025"

"One area that we should focus on is the holding of credible elections. Post-election violence has been on the rise in Africa and maligns the volatility of the electoral process on our continent. We have seen a significant rise in challenges to the way electoral processes are conducted in Africa, with accusations of electoral fraud and vote rigging"

"The peace that we brought to Mozambique was not easy, but it brought us many friends and sparked a good deal of dialogue within our society, along with the return of many freedoms, thus allowing us to begin a new life"

"War has never been a friend of development"

"Education should also enable people to seek and provide solutions, which is what universities should be about"

"The economic crisis we’re going through today is not only African in origin, nor is it limited to Africa. But I would urge all forces that have a stake in world economic development to look at Africa as one of the continents that will safeguard the world’s future, given its virginity in terms of resources; both in material and human terms"

"You don’t have to be a prodigy or have it all figured out. You just have to be willing to keep going when it gets hard. Because it will. Don’t be afraid to be lost for a while—sometimes that’s when you stumble into the most interesting things. Forget about looking impressive or proving something. Find what makes you curious, and chase that. And don’t shy away from the hard stuff, the things that make you feel like you’re in way over your head—those are the things that’ll push you further than you think you can go."

"Innovation is not about perfection; it is about persistence."