Icons of Botswana
Monday, May 07, 2012
To become a person of stature and attract admiration takes a lot of hard work and diligence. No one knows this better than Constance Mompei who has progressed from being a personal secretary to advisor on parliamentary affairs in the Office of the President.By this measure, she truly is the consummate achiever, proving that what you put in your work is what you get out of it. Mompei is married with three children; two daughters who currently live and work in South Africa and a son who lives in Gaborone. She did her primary education in Kanye at Logonono Primary School from 1957 to 1963.
The school, which is near her Kgotla, was renamed Motsatsing Primary School after her late grandfather. She then proceeded to St. Joseph's College for her secondary education, which she completed in 1968. The following year she acquired a government sponsorship to read for a Diploma in Secretarial Studies for two years in Lusaka, Zambia. Upon completion she came back to Botswana to work for the government.
While every citizen, including the Head of State, has the right to voice opinions, the tone and context of the President’s comments were regrettably dismissive and risk chilling free expression in our country. The remarks are not isolated. They form part of a disturbing pattern of public attacks on independent institutions pillars essential to the healthy functioning of our democracy. The Judiciary, the Legislature, and now the media have all...