Who is in charge with Cabinet on holiday?

Staff Writer | Thursday January 14, 2010 00:00

 

This is the question on many people's lips as cabinet remains in recess. During the last weeks of the year and the first month of the following year, usually, members of the executive, from the President to the assistant ministers go on holiday and this year is no different. Information reaching Mmegi indicates that at the most President Ian Khama, Vice President Mompati Merafhe and the cabinet ministers have light schedules with official duties kept to a minimum.

When Mmegi called President Khama's office yesterday the President's spokesperson Sipho Qedindaba Madisa indicated that Khama is currently on leave. Cabinet has suspended holding its weekly Wednesday meetings until they resume later in the month. So who is in charge of government at this stage?

Government spokesperson Raphael Dingalo says government functions as usual even when cabinet is on recess. He says apart from the fact that the civil service is still at work, cabinet and individual ministers can be summoned whenever a matter needs their attention.

He says when Indian Vice President Shri Mohammed Hamid Ansari was in the country recently Vice President Merafhe met him accompanied by cabinet Ministers Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi (Education and Skills Development) and Christian de Graff (Agriculture).

He says Ansari further met with the President, an indication that government is not at a stand-still.  'In short therefore, even when cabinet is in recess, the President and his Cabinet are on call 24 hours' concludes Dingalo.