“After COVID there will be a new excuse. The so called cabinet retreat willl be another costly talk shop. Just talks, talks and talks. And nothing is ever achieved. Our country is in a state of auto-pilot. Never before have we seen this much uncertainty and upheaval. Permanent secretaries are moved willy-nilly, a cabinet reshuffle has already been staged and the Minister of Finance has been removed at a time when we need stability at the fiscus the most. All these movements are on basis of who blindly supports the looting the most.” Biggie Ganda Butale, BPF President proclaimed.
Butale lashed out against the recent cabinet retreat. The retreat which was titled “Reset: Reclaiming the Government and implementing our change mandate” was held over the weekend after mass appointments and reshuffles.
On Thursday, Mr. Thato Raphaka was moved to the National Strategy Office as Deputy Director General within the Ministry for Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration; Ms Grace Muzila to the Ministry of Health and Wellness as Permanent Secretary; Mr Gaeimelwe Goitsemang was transferred to the Ministry of Employment, Labour Productivity and Skills Development as Permanent Secretary; Mr Kabelo A. Ebineng to the Ministry for Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration as Deputy Coordinator, Government Implementation and Coordination Office; Ms Pearl Ramokoka deployed as Permanent Secretary in the Ministry for Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration; Ms Ellen Richard-Madisa appointed on promotion to Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Mineral Resources, Green Technology and Energy Security; Mr Kgomotso Abi transferred to the Ministry for Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration as Coordinator of Public Service Reforms; Dr Gladys Mokhawa appointed to act as the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of International Affairs and Cooperation.
As if that was not enough for one week, the following day Mr Elias Mpedi Magosi got appointed as Acting Ambassador-at-large, reporting to the Ministry of International Affairs and Cooperation. He got replaced by Ms Emma A. Peloetletse who got appointed to act as Permanent Secretary to the President, and Acting Secretary to Cabinet. In the same day, Mr Mmusi Kgafela was appointed Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry; Dr Thapelo Matsheka appointed Minister of Infrastructure and Housing Development; and Ms Peggy Onkutlwile Serame appointed the Minister of Finance and Economic Development.
These mass appointments, according to the President of Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) Mr. Butale are a sign of confusion by President Masisi, and further proves that the government is on ‘auto-pilot’ and the country captured.
“Indeed this government is captured by a section of our society. Chief among these are those that were given COVID-19 vaccines to give jabs to their friends at their private houses. The only reset therefore should be reclaiming of the country from President Dada, Masisi and his looting cabal. The looters who have put the country in a perpetual state of emergency can not speak of reclaiming anything. What are they reclaiming? And from whom? They can not reclaim the country from themselves. It is we the people that are going to have to reclaim the country from them. Please wake Masisi up and remind him that he has always had a rigged mandate . He consciously chose to use this cursed mandate to each time peddle falsehoods, get wealthier, give tenders to his friends and family, as well as to mask rampant mismanagement.” he lambasted.
The purpose of the retreat was reportedly for “President Masisi and the Cabinet to review the progress of implementation of the President’s Transformation Agenda in light of the health and economic setbacks caused by the Coronavirus pandemic.”
