Cabinet Reshuffle Looming?

  • Backbench said to want Molale and Rakgare out
  • Source says President does not trust his ministers

GAZETTE REPORTER

President Mokgweetsi Masisi is believed to be considering yet another cabinet reshuffle after expressing dissatisfaction with some of his ministers, The Botswana Gazette has established.

Masisi is said to have already warned some of his ministers about the possibility of being dropped out of cabinet next month. Those close to these developments believe that ministers are now afraid of going against the President’s will even if they differ with him.

“There is no freedom of expression in cabinet,” said a source. “Ministers cannot even freely express their views on national issues. The biggest problem is that Masisi does not trust his own ministers.”

Reports have previously claimed that Masisi was unhappy with the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Eric Molale, and the Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, Tumiso Rakgare, while media reports have also suggested that the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) backbench previously asked for the axing of the Minister of Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration, Kabo Morwaeng, and his assistant, Dumezweni Mthimkhulu.

This publication also reported in October 2020 that the President wrote to members of his cabinet warning them to “stay far away” from intermeddling in the awarding of COVID-19 tenders if they are to keep their jobs.

Information that The Botswana Gazette had at the time was that Masisi had even asked the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crimes (DCEC) and the Directorate of Intelligence and Security Service (DISS) to keep a hawk’s eye on ministers and senior civil servants meddling in COVID-19 tenders.