20 Mar 2013

Minister of Defence, Justice and Security, Mr Dikgakgamatso Seretse has informed Parliament that President Lt Gen. Seretse Khama Ian Khama has never attended any of the 12 African Union (AU) Summits since 2009.

Answering a question in Parliament on behalf of the Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mr Seretse said since 2009, four SADC Summits have been held and the President only attended three while out of the seven SADC Extraordinary Summits the President attended only three.

He said one African, Caribbean and Pacific group of countries Summit was held last year and he was also unable to attend.

Mr Seretse noted that the President was unable to attend all the meetings because of other equally important local commitments adding that there is always a conscious decision to balance his internal and external commitments.

In his absence, he said Botswana is always ably represented at the highest level by either the Vice President or Cabinet Ministers.

Mr Seretse was responding to a question from MP for Francistown South Mr Wynter Mmolotsi who had wanted to know the number of meetings for Southern African Development Community (SADC), African Union (AU), African, Caribbean and Pacific/ European Union that the State President has attended since 2009.

Mr Mmolotsi had also wanted the minister to state the reasons for President’s continued absence at such important Heads of States meetings. ENDS