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Your Excellency, Mr. Jacob Zuma, President of the Republic of South Africa; Your Honour the Vice President of the Republic of Botswana, Dr. Ponatshego H. K. Kedikilwe Your Lordship, Chief Justice Dibotelo The Honourable Speaker of the National Assembly, Dr. Nasha Cabinet Ministers from Botswana and South Africa; Leader of the Opposition Your Excellencies Members of the Diplomatic Corps, ➢ Honourable Members of Parliament; Your Worship, the Mayor of the City of Gaborone; Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen;

1. I am very pleased and honoured to extend to you, Mr. President and your delegation, a very warm welcome to Botswana on this occasion of your first State Visit to Botswana. We are indeed honoured and delighted to host you as our Guest.

2. I still have pleasant memories of my own State visit to South Africa, which was a resounding success. Allow me to take this opportunity to reiterate my gratitude to you and the people of South Africa for the warm reception and hospitality extended to me and my delegation during my State Visit to your country in October 2010. The visit has no doubt served to further strengthen our mutually beneficial relations, which are anchored on a solid foundation of shared values of democracy, good governance, the rule of law and respect for human rights.

3. I am recalling these visits, Your Excellency in order to demonstrate our strong commitment and desire to further strengthen and nurture the excellent relations that we enjoy, and the special bond of friendship and solidarity, which has always underpinned our close and enduring historical ties.

4. We are indeed one people, who not only share a long border but are also bound together by a shared history, cultural affinity, common values and aspirations. Our symbiotic relationship kept us close together during the dark days of colonial oppression and apartheid in the Southern Africa region. Thankfully, our common resolve and unwavering determination in confronting that period has resulted in the peace and tranquility that we enjoy today.

5. Mr. President, your State Visit to Botswana affords us an invaluable opportunity to exchange views on a wide range of bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interest to both our countries. It also provides an important platform for us to explore possible solutions to the current challenges affecting our sister countries.

6. I wish to note with satisfaction the steady progress we have made with regard to the state of our bilateral relations. The close interaction between the respective sectors of our countries has helped to deepen cooperation in many areas such as transport and communications; energy supply; trade; health; the fight against cross-border crime; tourism and management of natural resources; and the promotion of sport and culture to mention some.

7. In this regard, I am delighted that we had very fruitful and enriching discussions this morning, which have enabled us to chart a way forward in further expanding the scope of our bilateral relations, as well a improve the welfare of our people.

8. While we have made progress in some areas, we still need to do more with regard to other issues. I however, remain hopeful that through our continued joint efforts, we will eventually resolve these vexing issues that impact on the development of our countries and the lives of our people.

9. As neighbouring developing countries facing common developmental challenges such as unemployment, poverty eradication, pandemics such as HIV and AIDS, and economic diversification, it is important that we maintain closer interaction, especially through the bilateral mechanisms such as the Bi-National Commission, which has just been signed.

10. I wish to point out that the elevation of our bilateral issues from the operational level to Head of State level is not only a manifestation of the importance with which we attach to our bilateral relations, but a sign of the seriousness of our two governments to ensure that these relations are taken to greater heights.

11. I have no doubt that the Commission will serve as a vital platform for addressing our development needs and challenges that confront us.

12. Your Excellency, I find it fitting to pay tribute to you for the committed manner in which you continue to deal with your facilitation in Zimbabwe. It is gratifying to note progress on this front, evidenced by the steps the Zimbabweans are taking towards the implementation of the SADC Roadmap with all the challenges facilitation comes with. I hope your efforts as well as those of the SADC Community will be rewarded with the holding of credible elections in that country. Nothing other than free and fair elections should be acceptable to the people of Zimbabwe or the rest of us in the International Community. SADC as the guarantor of the GPA must also ensure the process leading up to the elections, and not only the elections themselves are transparent for all to witness and devoid of attempts at manipulation by one party or the other. Therefore SADC monitors and those from the wider international community should participate in observing the process before, during and maybe even after the elections.

13. In this regard Mr. President, I wish to assure you of my Government’s commitment to work closely with your government in promoting our shared democratic principles and values, as well as in searching for possible solutions to other regional challenges we face today.

14. Further afield, global challenges currently affecting humanity dictates that we should work closely together more than before, if we are to cope with the realities of today.

15. As such for example my Government is deeply concerned about the deteriorating political situation in Syria, which to date has resulted in the loss of many innocent lives at the hands of the Assad’s murderous Regime which as a result has lost legitimacy, if they ever had any in the first place. Equally, we are disturbed by the continuous staunch stand of some permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, specifically Russia and China, which frustrates the concerted efforts of the international community to find a lasting solution to the Syrian conflict.

16. Our concern is premised on the fact that permanent members of the United Nations Security Council are duty bound to search for
international peace and security and not allow their historic differences to cloud their responsibility as Council Members.

17. Mr. President, let me conclude my remarks by wishing you and your delegation a fruitful visit to Botswana.

18. Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, may I now request you to join me in drinking a toast to:

the continued good health of His Excellency Mr. Jacob Zuma, President of the Republic of South Africa; ➢ the continued friendship, solidarity and co-operation between the Governments and peoples of Botswana and South Africa; and To international peace and security.

PULA!!!