Botswana: The President of the Republic of Botswana, Dr Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi, and the First Lady, Neo Jane Masisi, have donated small livestock to Botswana Prison Service.
During the handing-over ceremony in Gaborone yesterday, the President commended Botswana Prison Service for its continued collaboration with other more advanced entities to increase output in prison farms nationwide.
He said the donation supports his conviction that the Prison Service can produce sufficient quantity and quality food to feed both inmates and the entire nation. “My Wife and I have chosen to make another donation of Meat Master Sheep being one ram and two ewes, which I will hand over to you today,” he said.
The President said he did so with a firm belief that the addition to the current flock will improve the quality of sheep and ultimately assist the Prison Service in achieving self-sufficiency in food production.
“It is no question that the times we live in are characterized by unprecedented effects of climate change and therefore breeding and selection becomes skewed towards drought tolerant animals such as the meat master sheep,” he said.
The President indicated that during his visit to Molepolole Prison Farm last year, he donated six Boer goats and six Dorper sheep to the Prison Service, as he was moved by the promise he saw at the farm.
He thus implored the Prison Service to continue their good work and see to it that prisoners are trained in the skills they need to engage meaningfully in modern agriculture and contribute to the National Food Basket, as made possible by the Offender Rehabilitation and Reintegration Programme.
During the same occasion, the President and the First Lady also had the opportunity to tour and appreciate the newly renovated Gaborone Prisons Officer’s Mess.
He pointed out that Officer’s Messes customarily serve as connection points for officers, fostering esprit de corps, leadership qualities, and unified organizational ethos. “This is a one-stop facility where off-duty Officers may relax and revive without leaving the camp, thereby observing their safety and minimizing potential dangers they might otherwise meet outside,” he said.
The President further called upon the Prison Service to be more creative, exploratory, and imaginative in order to make the site more alluring and one of the city’s major tourist destinations. Giving some vote of thanks, The Minister of Defence and Security, Thomas Kagiso Mmusi, thanked the First Family for the noble gesture. He said the donation is a testament that the President and the First Lady are committed to supporting programmes aimed at helping Batswana engage in modern and commercial farming.
He promised that as the Ministry responsible for the Prison Service, we will continue to work smart to improve and increase production in all the Prison Farms to feed the prisoners and the nation.
On welcoming the guests, the Commissioner of Prisons – Commissioner Dinah Marathe, conveyed gratitude to the President and the First Lady for their support in all the Prison Service initiatives.
She was optimistic that the Prison Service will continue to benefit immensely from the widening pool of top genetics, including the Meat Master Breed that is new to the Prison’s kraals.
She said the addition will not only increase the flock size and improve the quality of the small stock but will help capacitate inmates with the necessary skills and ensure that their reintegration into mainstream society is seamless.
Commissioner Marathe assured the President that the Prison Service will earnestly take care of the animals donated and multiply them to benefit the prison community and the nation. “This noble gift will go a long way in intensifying our rehabilitation and training efforts as the Service aligns with the National Priority of Value Chain Development,” she said.
The event was also graced by the Vice President, Slumber Tsogwane, Cabinet Ministers, Permanent Secretary to the President, Emma Peloetletse, Permanent Secretaries, Senior Government Officers and Members of Botswana Prison Service.
