Rejected BDP politicians rewarded
Oarabile Mosikare | Tuesday December 16, 2014 19:59
He has been appointed the coordinator of poverty eradication in the Office of the President (OP) effective January 2015.
Gaborone, who for two terms, 2004 and 2009, won the seat through the Botswana National Front (BNF), but defected to the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) after loosing the BNF presidency in 2010, lost Tlokweng to Same Bathobakae of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC). Other BDP politicians who were rewarded with top positions in the civil service are former Gabane-Mmankgodi MP, Mmoloki Raletobane and Dr Raphael Dingalo.
Raletobane lost the BDP primary elections to Lesedi Mmusi last year. He has since been appointed the manager of Government Implementation Coordinating Office (GICO), in the OP. Dingalo is a well-known BDP activist, who until moving back into the academia as chancellor of Limkokwing University, has in the past contested primary elections in Shoshong without any success. Dingalo has now been awarded with the position of deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education and Skills Development.
The appointments and other transfers of senior public officers were announced by the Permanent Secretary to the President, Carter Morupisi last Friday.
Among the many shocking transfers is that of the PS in the Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs, Ikotlhaeng Bagopi, whose appointment to head Botswana Public Service College as an executive director seems like a demotion.
Bouncing back to the public service is Pearl Matome who has been appointed the PS in the Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs. Matome was once the Director of Public Service Management but was forced out when she faced accusations of nepotism. However, after the matter took a legal route two years ago, the courts cleared her of two corruption charges. Matome was charged with allegedly participating in the employment of her close relative, Goitsemodimo Sewane, in 2006 and failing to disclose the nature of her interest to the DPSM and, a year later, further accelerated her promotion. Other appointments and redeployments are as follows: Kgomotso Abi is appointed Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources.
Neil Fitt is redeployed to the position of Coordinator, Transport Hub in the Ministry of Transport and Communications.
Banny Molosiwa is redeployed to the position of Deputy Director General (Thematic Working Group) in the National Strategy Office, OP.
Peggy Serame is appointed Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Trade and Industry.
Goitsemang Morekisi is redeployed to the position of Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transport and Communications.
Dr John Mothibi is redeployed to the position of Coordinator, Government Implementation Coordination Office (GICO), Office of the President. Dr Theophilus Mooko is redeployed to the position of Deputy Director, Directorate of Public Service Management.
Keamogetse Molebatsi is appointed Deputy Director General, (Policy and Strategy) National Strategy Office, OP. Kitso Dithokwa is appointed Director, Policy Implementation and Monitoring (e-Government), OP.