from ODIRILE TOTENG in Gaborone, Botswana
Botswana Bureau
GABORONE, (CAJ News) – THE new cabinet in Botswana must hit the ground running to address pressing issues, especially a decelerating economy heavily reliant on diamonds.
President Duma Boko has announced an initial team of some ministers, a week after he was confirmed the head of state, ending an almost six-decade stranglehold on power by the liberation Botswana Democratic Party (BDP).
The Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) is now at the helm.
Ndaba Gaolathe, recently announced as Boko’s deputy, has been appointed Minister of Finance.
Dr Phenyo Butale has been appointed Minister of International Relations.
Boko has appointed Dr Micus Chimbombi as Minister of Lands and Agriculture, deputised by Dr Edwin Dikoloti.
Nono Kgafela Mokoka is the new Minister of Child Welfare and Basic Education
Dr Stephen Modise is the Minister of Health, deputised by Lawrence Ookeditse.
Lesego Chombo is the Minister of Youth and Gender Affairs.
An arduous task lies ahead.
“We are in a dire economic and financial situation,” Boko said at the event in the capital, Gaborone.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) projects Botswana’s economic growth to slow to 1 percent in 2024, primarily because of a diamond market contraction, before picking up next year.
On a positive note, inflation has declined sharply since the peak of mid-2022 and returned to the central bank’s medium-term objective range of 3 to 6 percent.
– CAJ News