‘UDC Govt is intact’ – Boko

 President Duma Boko announced the last batch of six cabinet ministers to complete the executive arm of government on Friday. He used the occasion to flatly deny allegations of rift within the UDC government owing to differences from the coalition contracting parties over cabinet appointments. 

Advocate Boko said there has never been any disagreements by the UDC government over the process of cabinet selection and declared that he has no doubt that the government will remain intact beyond cabinet selection process. 

As Boko appointed cabinet in three batches, speculation became rife that the approach was due to the internal rift that engulfed the coalition as parties made different demands for cabinet positions. 

At the core of the suspected rift was between partners, Botswana National Front (BNF) and the Alliance for Progressives (AP) clashing for the senior ministry of State Presidency. 

Sources within the UDC had suggested that the AP and the BNF leadership differed over which party should assume the position with the names of political heavyweights Moeti Mohwasa and Wynter Mmolotsi dominating debates. 

On Friday, Boko appointed Mohwasa, the Minister of State Presidency deputized by his fellow BNF member Maipelo Mophuting while Mmolotsi was appointed the Minister of Tourism and Environment. 

Boko said he took for amusement at some of the media reports alleging tension within the UDC on its early days of forming government. 

He said his government is inclusive and for that reason he committing to running a government that is accountable and transparent to the press, adding that the media is supposed to feel free to verify information it gets. 

“I didn’t see any need for my office to issue rebuttals for some of those reports that were trending this week. I rebut in action and the nation is now seeing the action. There has never been conflict of any nature as it was reported in the press. And although I believe in contestation of ideas, there had never been such while we built our cabinet,” said Boko. 

Meanwhile, some of the cabinet appointments that Boko made on Friday include the appointment of MP for Palapye Onneetse Ramogapi as Minister of Water and Human Settlement assisted by MP for Charles Hill Motsamai Motsamai.

Tswapong North MP Prince Maele is the minister of Higher Education and is deputised by Justin Hunyepa, the MP for Tati West. 

Boko said he expects his cabinet to be agile and responsive to the pressing national matters of importance, adding that the civil service is also expected to keep the same momentum of service delivery. 

The President has also rubbished claims that his decisions are being influenced by former President Ian Khama. 

BNF LEADERSHIP FORUM 

Meanwhile fireworks were expected at the Botswana National Front leadership consultative forum convened by the party central committee yesterday (Saturday) where participants are alleged to be lining up to protest the distribution of Cabinet positions. 

Boko has allegedly faced a lot of pressure from contracted parties Alliance for Progressives (AP) and Botswana Peoples Party (BPP) who fought hard to ensure that their cadres get a better cut of cabinet posts. 

Comrades in the BNF are said to be unhappy that some members of Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) were preferred for cabinet posts which were supposed to be filled by the BNF members. Two BPF MPs – Lawrence Ookeditse of Nata/ Gweta and Baratiwa Mathoothe of Serowe North have been awarded assistant ministers positions. 

Sources close to the developments indicate that some of BNF regions are also unhappy about the cabinet appointments, and are planning to officially complain in writing to the BNF Central Committee. 

However, BNF Publicity Secretary Tumelo Legase has insisted that said the BNF is satisfied with what it got in cabinet positions. 

Legase said they are happy that Boko considered the BNF cadres that he did and have no doubt that they will deliver for the betterment of the people of this country. 

“We are also happy that the President widened his search into other political parties within the coalition because it was very important that cabinet be a true reflection of the UDC and not just of one political party,” said Legase. 

Legase said the BNF applauds Boko for going further into society to enlist the services of people like Bogolo Kenewendo and Lesego Chombo who are Specially Elected Members of Parliament. 

“We also applaud him for going into the opposition to appoint people from the BPF. It is true to the nature of the BNF to practice such inclusivity. Our MPs were not overlooked and that is not our outlook on it. They have a role to play too in the new Botswana which they will diligently play as MPs,” he said. He added: “As I have alluded to earlier, it was never the expectation of the BNF or its MPs that cabinet was the preserve of the BNF”. 

He said it was never the expectation of the BNF to have all its MPs to become cabinet ministers. 

“We are part of a coalition of the UDC. We understand fully that our partners also have people with the skills and quality needed to formulate cabinet as we do. So, that really isn’t a concern or a point to discuss on the part of us as a party,” said Legase. 

Analyst 

Political Science Lecturer at the University of Botswana (UB) Dr Adam Mfundisi said President Boko should have expeditiously formed a government through a comprehensive cabinet appointment to enable the nation to have certainty on his government’s priority areas. 

Dr Mfundisi said the piecemeal designation of six (6) ministers and assistant ministers have ignited perceptions and suspicions within the body politics on the reasons for the delay in appointing ministers. 

He stated that through a comprehensive restructuring of ministries as well as appointing ministers, voters can judge the priority areas and assess whether they are in line with the prevailing predicaments the country is faced with. 

“The creation of new ministries or streamlining existing ones is the prerogative of the President as per the Botswana Constitution. The President’s levers of power ensure that he reorganises the machinery of government to show his government priority areas,” he said. 

Dr Mfundisi said there are many speculations in the public domain including allegations of internal rift within the UDC, adding that some people are positing that members of the BNF, which is the major partner in the UDC, are complaining about the appointments of AP and BPF (both formally made up of former BDP members).