Official visit of Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi |09 May 2018

President Faure holds talks with President Masisi

His Excellency Mokgweetsi Masisi, the President of Botswana, was received by President Danny Faure at State House yesterday morning for private talks.

Mr Masisi, who arrived in the country on Monday evening for a one-day courtesy visit as part of a familiarisation tour of the Southern African Development Council (SADC) countries following his inauguration last month as President of Botswana, was accompanied here by a strong delegation comprising four ministers, a defence attaché, a member of parliament among other key officials.

Following talks, the two presidents exchanged gifts before President Masisi signed the visitors’ book and left State House for a tour of the Botanical Gardens at Mont Fleuri where he planted a coco de mer nut not far from the entrance of the gardens.

“This is the most amazing nut I have ever seen,” President Masisi exclaimed holding the coco de mer nut in his hand and examining it closely. He had previously been presented with a similar nut as a gift by President Danny Faure to remind him of his visit here.

President Masisi was led on the tour of the Botanical Gardens by the new Minister for Environment, Energy and Climate Change Wallace Cosgrow as well as his predecessor, minister Didier Dogley who was also the minister accompanying and showing the Botswana head of State around.

National Botanical Gardens Foundation chief executive Raymond Brioche was on hand to answer all of President Masisi’s questions about the coco de mer nut and palm. After planting the nut he stood some minutes marveling at a young coco de mer plant not far off while Minister Dogley and Mr Brioche showed him what the nut he had planted will look like after several years.

President Masisi’s visit ended with a tour of the tortoise pen where he fed the curious group and marveled at their curiosity while being amazed to learn details of their age, their way of living and other information about them from Mr Brioche.