Serame expresses shock over leaked SACU job application
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Monday September 22, 2025 10:08
Speaking to Mmegi on Thursday, Serame stated that she, like any other Motswana, responded to a public advertisement for the role.
However, recently, President Duma Boko declared his support for Serame, which received mixed reactions from his party, as they did not approve of it. It is allegedly said that the government has withdrawn support for her.
“I applied like every Motswana. Shockingly, such confidential information is being leaked while the recruitment process is still ongoing. I saw the advert and decided to submit my application. I was equally surprised to hear claims that I have government backing, especially when the process has not yet concluded,” she said.
Clarifying the recruitment procedure, Serame explained that while the Ministry of Finance may conduct an initial shortlisting, the final recruitment is handled by an external firm that assists SACU in such processes.
Despite the controversy, Serame emphasised that there is nothing unusual about her application and expressed disappointment at the reactions of some members of the public. “It’s surprising to hear some of the opinions people are expressing about this matter. If someone meets the qualifications, they have every right to apply,” she added.
SACU is a regional trade bloc composed of five member states of Southern Africa: Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, and South Africa. Currently, a national of Lesotho holds the position of the Executive Secretary. Therefore, all the Member States, except for Lesotho, are eligible to nominate a candidate for consideration.
While Member States that previously held the position, Botswana, Lesotho, and Namibia, are all eligible to nominate a candidate, the principle of rotation will be considered in the process of appointing the new candidate.
However, the process will aim to appoint the most qualified person at all times. The purposes of the job include to carry out the executive management of the Secretariat in compliance with the Southern African Customs Agreement; to ensure the attainment by Southern African Customs Union policies; coordinate and monitor the implementation of all the decisions of the council and commissions; assist in the harmonization of national policies and strategies of Member States as they relate to Southern African Customs Union; facilitate liaison between Southern African Customs Union, other organisations and third countries in Southern African customs union related matters; identify staffing, training and technical assistance needs regarding Southern African Customs Union related affairs to Member States and facilitate the provision thereof, and if required and liaise with donors in that regard.
For the educational qualifications, the post requires a postgraduate University Degree in International Trade, Economics, or its equivalent, and exceptional administrative and management skills.
A source at SACU told Mmegi that the advert is not from the Ministry of Finance but theirs, and they are not going to re-advertise the post just because Botswana has its own internal fights. “There are other players in the game. Again, if those who had applied do not meet our requirements, then it could be re-advertised, or we will look for qualified candidates. For us, the issue of whether one has been a politician or not does not apply,” the source said.
Serame was elevated in a 2021 Cabinet reshuffle to preside over the national purse and its development trajectory, listed as the 10th minister, breaking male domination of the position. She rose after Dr Thapelo Matsheka was dropped from Cabinet following a fallout with the principal, former President Mokgweetsi Masisi.
Serame’s progress was never based on the gender card, but it was purely on the basis of her shrewdness as an economist.
She started off her career in the public service as an assistant economist in 1994 and rose through the ranks to become a director, macroeconomic policy in 2009, years later, promoted to the position of deputy permanent secretary, economic diversification drive. By the time Masisi assumed the reins in 2018, Serame was the permanent secretary of Trade and Industry, serving under the current minister of Minerals and Energy, Bogolo Kenewendo. In 2019, Serame got the nod as one of the Specially Elected Members of Parliament, and was appointed Minister of Trade before being elevated to Finance two years later.
True to her promise in 2024, ‘Pegzozo’ as she was called in the political circles, decided to run for parliamentary elections under by then the then-ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) ticket, and after losing primary elections at Goodhope-Mmathethe constituency to a colleague, the then Health Minister, Edwin Dikoloti. Controversially, Dikoloti was dropped by the BDP in favour of Serame. Serame lost to Dikoloti, who ran as an independent and is now in Boko's cabinet.