Minister wont disclose Anthony�s credentials

Gothataone Moeng | Thursday February 20, 2014 16:35

 

Anthony Khama is President Ian Khama’s younger brother and twin brother to Minister of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism (MEWT) Tshekedi Khama.

He was appointed by Venson-Moitoi to the UB Council last year, alongside prominent lawyer and Botswana Democratic Party chairman of the elections board Parks Tafa. Tafa has also served as a legal representative to the BDP, President Khama, individual ministers such as Ramadeluka Seretse and the government.  The appointment was slammed by many and had some demanding reforms in the appointment of council members.

In Parliament yesterday, Venson-Moitoi defended the appointment saying it was at her discretion as a minister as stipulated in the UB Act.  She stated that in appointing council members, there is no requirement to look at academic qualifications.

Venson-Moitoi was responding to a question from Gaborone Central MP Dumelang Saleshando, who wanted to know if she had established the qualifications held by two members of the UB Council whose educational credentials were unknown in July at the time when a similar question was asked in Parliament.  Although the two members were not named in the question, Venson-Moitoi said she knew the question referred to Khama.

She said that she had not established the qualifications, and went on to justify why she had made the appointment.  She noted that Section 9 of the UB Act authorises her, in her capacity as minister, to appoint five members of the council at her discretion.  She said instead of qualifications, she looks for commitment and involvement within the education sector.  In that way, she said, she appoints community leaders, business people and parents whose children go to the UB. She said as an example she had appointed somebody from the family which owned Cash Bazaar in Francistown as that family had donated school uniforms to various schools. 

At the prompting of opposition MPs, who wanted her to give Khama’s qualification, particularly as he is in public office, as she had promised to make the qualifications available, Venson-Moitoi apologised.

“With hindsight, I apologise to the Speaker and to the House for promising to bring the qualifications.  I do not believe I have to bring the qualification.  It’s public knowledge where the Khama twins went to school,” she said.