- New President faces rising internal discord over cabinet posts
- Political analyst advises him to maintain balance at all levels
GAZETTE REPORTERS
President Duma Boko’s delay in fully appointing his cabinet is reportedly due to disagreements within the ruling Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC).
Disputes have surfaced among coalition partners, the Botswana National Front (BNF), the Alliance for Progressives (AP) and the Botswana People’s Party (BPP), over fair representation in the cabinet.
President Boko announced only six cabinet ministers, among them Ndaba Gaolathe as Minister of Finance, Marcus Chimbombi as Minister of Agriculture and Lands, and Stephen Modise as Minister of Health, on Monday this week.
Outliers Dikoloti and Ookeditse in
Others appointed were Lesego Chombo as Minister of Youth and Gender Affairs, Nono Kgafela-Mokoka as Minister of Child Welfare and Basic Education, Phenyo Butale as Minister of International Relations, Edwin Dikoloti as Assistant Minister of Agriculture and Lands, and Lawrence Ookeditse as Assistant Minister of Health.
While Dikoloti and Ookeditse are not-members of the UDC members, President Boko cited their skills as the basis for their appointments.
However, considerable agitation – and tension – is reported among UDC Members of Parliament (MPs) over how the remaining cabinet appointment will be allocated.
Streamlined cabinet
According to one MP, the coalition agreement emphasises fair representation. President Boko is reportedly working to meet these expectations.
As he told the press conference on Monday, he has taken a decisive step to reduce the size of the cabinet from 24 to 18, down from an initial goal of an even smaller 10 members.
According to another source, some MPs feel entitled to cabinet positions for their loyalty and experience and are thus creating risk of discontent among those left on the backbench.
Dearth of the right expertise
A senior civil servant has observed that the new President may find it challenging to fill all cabinet roles with appropriately qualified personnel. “Boko lacks the people with the expertise he wants,” the civil servant told The Botswana Gazette.
This has reportedly caused him to look outside the UDC for recruitment of people with the requisite skills.
For political analyst, Dr Adam Mfundisi, in order for President Boko to avoid internal strife within the coalition that he leads, the composition of his composition should be inclusive.
Balance
“Boko’s cabinet should consider diverse representation and ensure balance in the judiciary,” Dr Mfundisi said. “But he must also balance the interests of the nation with those of the coalition and maintain the same balance among the political elite.”
Attempts to reach UDC spokesperson Moeti Mohwasa proved futile at the time of going to press.