Bots: Women ministers bring special skills

Gaborone, 18 November: All four women from the ruling party in Botswana have been appointed to cabinet, and the fifth to deputy speaker, in a move described as deliberate by the country’s new president, Advocate Duma Boko. Women in the current parliament sit at 8.8%, the lowest in the SADC region. In Cabinet, the figure is 14%.

“Having all ruling party women legislators being allocated high positions, is not by mistake. It is intentional, to say women are recognised,” he said after announcing the appointment of Maipelo Mophuting as the assistant Minister for State President. “We know women face many challenges, and when they manage to break through, it is important that we recognise and respond accordingly, placing them in strategic positions.”

Boko said that this was not tokenism. “Women should know that they are in positions, because of the unique and special skills they bring, which men do not have. Men at times are aggressive, while Women bring compassion. The attribute of femininity entail sympathy, understanding, fellow-feeling, care giving. Women need to show this and not want to conform to societal dictates of male domination.”

Mophuting, a Member of Parliament (MP) for Gaborone Bonnington North, is strategically placed in the highest office in the land, assisting one of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) communications head, Moeti Mohwasa. She was the last of the four women who made it to the 28-member Cabinet.

The three other women earlier appointed to Cabinet were Nono Kgafela-Mokoka, as minister of Child Welfare and Primary Education, the reigning Miss World Africa, Lesego Chombo to Youth and Gender Affairs, while Bogolo Kenewendo was assigned the ministry of Minerals and Energy. These three were elected to the National Assembly on a special dispensation of Special Elected Member of Parliament (SEMP).

Youthful Kenewendo, who made a brief appearance in the 11^th Parliament, has been assigned a key ministry, Minerals and Energy. She is the second woman after veteran Dr Gaositwe Chiepe who held the post during the late Sir Ketumile Masire’s administration.

The ministry is viewed as critical to the economy. Botswana has, since independence, been dependent on diamonds, and to some extent, copper. However, in the recent past, mineral fortunes have declined. The copper and nickel mining town of Selibe-Phikwe has become a ghost town following the closure of the BCL mine, and Tati Copper Nickel Company, seven years ago.

The biggest contributor and second employer in Botswana is DEBSWANA, a joint diamond operation owned by the government and De Beers. There has been decline in sales of diamond in recent times, and ongoing negotiations between the partners, were stalling, until the new government came to office this month.

Kenewendo, together with Finance minister and Vice President Ndaba Nkosinathi Gaolathe, are expected to lead and conclude the deal with De Beers. When the president makes the State of the Nation address this Tuesday, the expectation is that he will speak to the De Beers deal, among the many critical areas.

Recently, another UDC MP, Helen Pushie Manyeneng, was elected Deputy Speaker of parliament. The only woman in the 13^th Parliament, who has not assumed any leadership positions is Dr Unity Dow, from the main opposition Botswana Congress Party.

For more information, please contact Pamela Dube on +267-77132086