The President, Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi has honoured about 36 deserving Batswana luminaries for their contribution to the country. Among the luminaries, who were recognised at this year�s honours awards ceremony held in Gaborone on Independence Day eve, was the late Botswana People�s Party (BPP) founder, Mr Philip Matante who was posthumously awarded the Naledi Ya Botswana . Naledi Ya Botswana is an honour awarded for outstanding service to Botswana. During his time, the late Matante blossomed as a politician who supported the boycott of racist establishments and under his leadership BPP captured three seats to become the sole opposition party in the National Assembly. He was the first Leader of Opposition in Parliament and following independence, Mr Matante gained further notoriety for his robust participation in the house debates. Mr Matante was the first Member of Parliament to call for the formation of a defence force and advocated for the improvement of the working conditions and change of the police uniform, from shorts to trousers. He was also one of the pioneers who advocated for Botswana to establish its own currency, Pula le Thebe. In November 2019, President Masisi renamed the Francistown Airport PG Matante International Airport to honour him. President Masisi also bestowed the Presidential Order of Honour (PH) on 11 other Batswana. The PH is an honour awarded for efficient and devoted service to the country. Among the receipients was Dr Kereng Masupu, a highly accomplished international infectious disease expert . Dr Masupu was the founding executive director of Champions for an HIV-Free Generation , an ensemble which comprised former presidents and influential persons tasked to mobilise high-level leadership against HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa. He served as COVID-19 Botswana Presidential Task Force coordinator from 2020 to 2021. Other honours included the Presidential Order of Meritorious Service, awarded to any person for actions or services benefitting Botswana or any community or organisation in any particular field or sphere for courage or devotion to duty. Recipients under this category were seven individuals including the country�s 100m sensation, Letsile Tebogo, who is the current World U20 record holder in the men�s 100m with a time of 9.91, set at the Cali22 World Athletics U20 Championships. The 19-year-old is also a silver medallist from the World Athletics Championship Budapest23 in the men�s 100m. President Masisi further awarded 17 other luminaries the Presidential Certificate of Honour , a certificate awarded for long and faithful service to the country. Among them receipients was Ms Tebogo Obonetse of Foley. Ms Obonetse is a lifetime volunteer who has dedicated her life to making sure that others around her are taken care of. She has offered her car as an ambulance for Foley residents and also provided transport for TB patients in her private vehicle, from Foley to Tonota (45km). She also dedicated her single room as storage for TB tablets in Foley. The last awards were held in 2018 and the 2019 chapter was deferred due to the COVID-19 pandemic.