UB don reads malice in cabinet reshuffle

Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Tuesday October 4, 2016 15:47

Known for his level-headedness when analysing political  issues, this time Maundeni  went straight for the jugular.

“This cabinet is huge unnecessarily.  There is no need to have (a) cabinet of 30 people out of 65.  The government would spend a lot of resources in maintaining this cabinet.  This is anti-democracy,” the political analyst said when approched by Mmegi.

“This will kill democracy because now cabinet only needs two to three MPs to pass Bills.  Our population does not need this kind of huge cabinet.”

The political analyst argued that the move by Khama is meant to balance the scales within the party and act as a soothing balm in the deepening  divisions pitting the anti and pro Vice President Mokgweetsi Masisi camps against each other.

The new appointments include assistant ministers, Biggie Butale, Kefentse Mzwinila, Itumeleng Moipisi and Thato Kwerepe.  The new assistant ministers report for duty tomorrow.

Prior to their appointments,  the backbench  had become a thorn on the executive, accusing ministers of failing to perform and not responding to questions in Parliament.  One such firebrand is the newly appointed assistant minister Butale. He was not afraid to speak his mind and even challenged Masisi for the 2015 party chairmanship in Mmadinare.

Maundeni said in terms of promoting democracy, the cabinet does not have to be big.

 He said the voice of the backbench would now be affected because debates helped cabinet do things rightly.

“Even if debates are going to continue in Parliament, cabinet wouldn’t struggle to convince Parliament.  Again this cabinet was done without considering skills of people and ministers are placed anywhere,” he said.

He continued: “A lot of movement of staff could affect delivery.  Ministers should be appointed for ministries by looking into their specialisation and expertise.”

Another political analyst, Anthony Morima noted that the Mineral Resources, Green Technology and Energy Security is the mainstay of the country’s economy and therefore it needs an assistant minister.

“This ministry does not need a new person who does not have much experience in cabinet.  Advocate Sadique Kebonang would not be able to handle the ministry as well as Kitso Mokaila did.  We are not saying Kebonang is not capable, but Mokaila had done a good job because he had inherited the ministry’s problems while he was from tourism,” Morima said. 

He said Mokaila might have been taken to Ministry of Transport and Communications because the President had realised that he is good in coming up with solutions for the ministry.

He added: “Another ministry that needs an assistant minister is that of Nationality, Immigration and Gender Affairs.  While the ones which do not need assistant ministers include Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development, and the one for Tertiary Education, Research, Science and Technology”.

 

The new faces

Mzwinila

He has four degrees from Yale University in the United States.  He worked for Botswana Defence Force (BDF) where he was a commissioned officer. In 2006, he became BDP youth wing chairman until 2008. He is a psychologist and economist.  He was a specially-nominated councillor at Sowa.

 

Butale

A lawyer by profession, Pastor Butale has worked for Attorney General’s Chambers’ Civil Division and private legal practice before focusing on building the church he started in the 1990s, End Time Pentecostal Ministries. Before going into politics, he was notably a civil society activist. Among many roles he has played, he served in the Appeals Committee of the Press Council of Botswana; was president of the Evangelical Fellowship Botswana; and was for years, the chairperson of BOCONGO.

He is also a businessman and owner of Morongwa Security.

 

Moipisi

He obtained a degree in Environmental Sciences and English and has worked at the Department of Lands, Surveys and Mapping for a time before obtaining his master’s degree in Environmental Resources.  He worked at Debswana Mining Company as manager of environmental issues.  He has also done radio production and news writing.

 

Kwerepe

He holds a bachelors’ degree in Education, and a postgraduate diploma in Agriculture.  He is a former headmaster at Naledi Senior Secondary School and has also had a short stint as BDP secretary general.  Before joining Parliament he was a specially nominated councillor for North West.