02/09/2026
𝐇𝐎𝐍. 𝐏𝐈𝐔𝐒 𝐌𝐎𝐊𝐆𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐄𝐒 𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐈𝐍 𝐂𝐇𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐓 𝐀𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐋𝐈𝐂 𝐂𝐇𝐔𝐑𝐂𝐇 𝐈𝐍 𝐙𝐈𝐎𝐍’𝐒 𝟑𝐑𝐃 𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐔𝐀𝐋 𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐋 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐈𝐍 𝐊𝐀𝐍𝐘𝐄
KANYE, BOTSWANA — The Trust in Christ Apostolic Church in Zion was honored by the presence of the Minister of Labour and Home Affairs, Hon. Retired Major General Pius Mokgware, who delivered a powerful keynote address at the church’s 3rd Annual General Conference on Saturday.
Addressing a vibrant congregation, Minister Mokgware commended the church for its rapid growth and emphasized the critical role religious institutions play in building a disciplined, morally upright society. He urged spiritual leadership to actively mentor and mold well-behaved citizens, noting that a healthy church is reflected directly in the conduct of its congregation and leaders alike.
"Kereke fa e tshela sentle, re tshwanetse ra bona ka phutlhego, e etsa le ene moeteledipele tota," the Minister stated, calling for authentic leadership and moral integrity.
In a landmark announcement highlighting the government's commitment to inclusive governance, Minister Mokgware revealed that his ministry will establish a Bishops' Forum. This consultative platform will allow the government to regularly engage and consult spiritual leaders on matters of national importance, strengthening the partnership between church and state.
While applauding the church’s impressive expansion, which now spans 14 branches, including an international footprint in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, Minister Mokgware issued a stern warning against emerging negative trends within the faith community. He strongly discouraged the practice of importing foreign pastors who exploit congregants for financial gain, while also condemning internal factionalism and financial mismanagement within churches across the country.
"Dikereke di a lwa bagaetsho, mme go lwela madi, ebile Archbishop o kgona go rekisa setsha sa kereke maloko a sa itse," Minister Mokgware cautioned, highlighting the need for transparency, accountability, and proper governance.
To foster structure and sustainable growth, the Minister advised the church to establish dedicated operational structures, including fundraising, men’s, women’s, and youth committees.
In a major policy update welcomed by attendees, Minister Mokgware highlighted recent government interventions aimed at easing regulatory burdens for faith institutions. Notably, the government has revoked the requirement for spiritual leaders to hold formal theology certificates and drastically reduced the minimum membership threshold for registering a church from 150 to just 20 members.
Welcoming the Minister earlier, Presiding Bishop Sizo Enock Dibebe expressed gratitude for the government's progressive decision to repeal the theology certificate mandate. However, Bishop Dibebe raised a pressing concern regarding access to land for new ministry developments. He noted that emerging churches like Trust in Christ Apostolic Church in Zion continue to struggle to secure places of worship because land boards currently classify them alongside commercial entities under the Community and Civic plots cluster. Bishop Dibebe appealed to the new government administration to review this allocation policy to ensure young churches are given fair access to worship spaces.
The conference concluded with renewed optimism as the leadership and congregants reaffirmed their commitment to spiritual growth, community upliftment, and national development.
