Boko restructures ministries, names part of Cabinet
Innocent Selatlhwa | Tuesday November 12, 2024 13:26
Adding to the surprise, members from outside the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) were also appointed, with Lawrence Ookeditse of the Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) and independent legislator Dr Edwin Dikoloti both taking on assistant minister positions. Speaking during the announcement of Cabinet on Monday, Boko said they had undertaken a government that is agile, swift to appreciate situations, and quick to device appropriate interventions and strategies to deal with those situations. He said they must implement the strategies as quickly and effectively as possible.
Boko said they announced only six appointments as they would take it in batches to give people time to critique, analyse, and air their own views. Ministry of Finance – Ndaba Gaolathe “We are going to start by installing the person who will be an arrowhead for our dealing with these economic challenges and other associated issues. That is the Ministry of Finance, and I have the honour to announce the Vice President of our country as also the Minister of Finance,” he said calling on people to work with him, engage him, and challenge him. Boko said Gaolathe has a huge job in his hands as he has to stir Botswana out of the turbulent waters. “We believe he has the temperament, he has the intellect, the intellectual dexterity to wrestle successfully with the challenges that we face. We also know that he won't mislead you. He will be honest, upright, and sincere to you,” he said. Ministry of Health – Dr Stephen Modise with Lawrence Ookeditse as assistant The Health ministry will under Boko have newcomers to Parliament Dr Stephen Modise and Lawrence Ookeditse as Minister and Deputy Minister respectively.
Boko said they want universal healthcare whilst they are alive to the normal where government provides standardised low-quality goods and services. “We want to break out of that frozen mould and get into a different level of operation where every citizen is assured of high-quality healthcare. And this must be regardless of their income status or geographic location,” he said. He added that they would bring about a national health insurance scheme to ensure every person in Botswana is entitled to universal access to healthcare. To drive this, Boko appointed Specially Elected Member of Parliament Dr Modise to head the ministry. He said Modise was appointed because he is a competent young, dynamic, vibrant, capable medical professional engaged in the clinical side of things having done consultancy work. On Ookeditse, Boko said his party, the BPF, was loud on the national health insurance. Ministry of Child Welfare and Basic Education – Nono Kgafela-Mokoka Boko said they made a vow to introduce the ministry and they had begun to deliver.
He said Kgafela-Mokoka has child welfare and basic education at heart. “In appreciation of challenges that children face, we want to pick them from when they are born or before, be interested in their welfare from then and see them through until they reach the gates of school for early childhood learning. We have to make this available to all children in the country,” he said. Ministry of Lands and Agriculture – Dr Micus Chimbombi with Dr Edwin Dikoloti as assistant Another newly reconstructed ministry under Boko’s administration is headed by Dr Micus Chimbombi and deputised by former Health minister Dr Edwin Dikoloti. Boko said Botswana must reach a level of food sufficiency and exceed to exporting produce.
He said to achieve that, Chimbombi is the right person to lead them in that regard. He said Dikoloti as a former minister, despite coming from his former party the Botswana Democratic Party, can still serve them well with the capacities he has proven. Ministry of Youth and Gender Affairs – Lesego Chombo Miss World Africa Lesego Chombo was appointed as a testament to Boko’s belief in the youth. Boko said he was confident Chombo would be able to deliver the dream. “I didn't know her. I hadn't met her until briefly after she was confirmed as SEMP. I informed her we don't know each other, but you know it is because of who and what you have been and not who you have known or who you were known by. She did it herself, placed herself on pole position for the appointment,” he said.
Ministry of International Relations – Dr Phenyo Butale Gaborone Central legislator, Dr Phenyo Butale, has been entrusted with marketing, positioning, and representing Botswana internationally. Boko said he was confident Butale would walk into the role and execute it. “He must understand the fundamentals. We are a human rights-based government and we aren't going out to ask him to sanitise situations that are unjustifiable and improper. Even as he focuses internationally, he must understand that the international role is fed from within. What we do here to our people, those of the CKGR and others across the country is what will make his life difficult or easy,” he said.