Botswana president vows to reduce extreme poverty

GABORONE, March 27 — Botswana’s President Mokgweetsi Masisi said on Tuesday that reducing extreme poverty is his government’s priority and he is working to lure foreign investors into the southern African nation to create the much needed employment opportunities.

Masisi was addressing members of the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) in Francistown, Botswana’s second largest city ahead of the party’s elective congress, which will be held from April 5 to 7 in Kang, a village in the southwestern part of the country.

Masisi will face a challenge from former cabinet minister Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi for the leadership of the party.
“I am aiming for the improvement of the living conditions of almost every citizen of this beautiful country,” said Masisi.

He added that it is important to establish multilateral partnerships with non-governmental organizations and private entities in the combat against poverty.
The proportion of people living below the poverty datum line in Botswana declined from 30.6 percent in 2002/03 to 19.3 percent in 2009/10, and further down to 16.3 percent in 2015/16, according to a latest report on poverty by the country’s statistical agency, Statistics Botswana. – XINHUA