- VP has been staying at ministerial house since 2018
- PSP says State House 2 was undergoing refurbishments
- States State House 2 was uninhabitable
LETLHOGILE MPUANG
The Vice President Slumber Tsogwane is expected to finally move to his appointed residence, State House 2, sometime next week following completion of renovations that are reported to have lasted over a year, The Botswana Gazette has learnt.
When contacted for comment, the Permanent Secretary to the President (PSP), Emma Peloetletse said she was not in a good position to speak at the time of press.
No extra cost
“State House 2 has been undergoing some renovations and I have been briefed that it will be handed over next week,” she said. “The house was in a very bad state and was totally uninhabitable for the VP.”
Although she said she was not privy to the cost of the renovations, Peloetletse noted that all was done within time and at no extra cost. It is believed that the project gobbled up a few millions of pula from government coffers.
Tsogwane has lived in a ministerial house since he ascended to the position of VP in 2018. Part of the reasons for the VP’s delayed move to State House 2 were linked to renovations that had to be done at State House 1 after President Mokgweetsi Masisi was sworn into office in April 2018.
Debugging
It was alleged that the Directorate of Intelligence and Security (DIS), led by Director General Peter Magosi, believed that State House 1 should be debugged.
The renovations and debugging of State House are reported to have cost the government over P10 million. President Masisi was only able to move into State House 1 in early 2021.
Magosi has previously told the media that an option of moving the State House to a much more secluded area was being considered in the face of constant security threats on the life of President Masisi.