I am still a minister � Venson-Moitoi
Gothataone Moeng | Thursday April 3, 2014 12:38
“I should clear the air. Some of you are probably wondering why I am still called minister. I still am. The appointment yesterday; for those that might not have followed the news clearly, I am still minister,” she told an Education and Training Sector Strategic Plan (ETSSP) workshop in Gaborone yesterday. She said that though she has been put in charge of the ETSSP, she still remains minister.
She explained that because Khama attaches great importance to the ETSSP, he has appointed her to oversee the project for the next six months. “So I am minister for this project, I have still got a job. Nothing to worry about for those that are my friends,” she said. In Parliament yesterday, Venson-Moitoi was seated in the front-bench.
On Tuesday, Permanent Secretary to the President, Eric Molale, announced that Venson-Moitoi had been granted leave of absence from her ministerial duties to oversee the development ETSSP.
Mokgweetsi Masisi was shuffled from the Ministry of Presidential Affairs and Public Administration (MoPAPA) to act as MoESD minister. The ETSSP, a MoESD priority project launched in 2012, aims to develop a comprehensive and holistic programme for the education sector and harmonise policies. “The importance and magnitude of the assignment is such that it will require the full time attention of Honourable Venson-Moitoi,” the PSP statement reads. Molale’s statement plunged the nation into confusion regarding Venson-Moitoi’s position in government, with questions over whether she was now an ordinary civil servant and what this would mean for her position as MP for Serowe North.
Speaking at the ETSSP workshop yesterday, Venson-Moitoi said the project she has been appointed to oversee is intended to help Botswana diversify the economy from mineral reliance. She said the programme is meant to develop a knowledge-based economy.
“In particular, it will strengthen the match between qualifications and labour market requirements, thereby ensuring that education outputs are more closely aligned to future employment needs.
This will also facilitate improved outcomes for all learners by addressing issues of quality, relevance, access, equity and accountability across the entire sector, from pre-school to tertiary,” she said.