05 Apr 2018

President Mokgweetsi Masisi will attend the funeral of the late Botswana’s Ambassador to Germany, Ms Tswelopele Moremi to be held at Phomolong Private Cemeteries in Phakalane on April 7. 

President Masisi visited the Moremi family in Gaborone to offer his condolences and support.

President Masisi described the deceased as a hard worker and reliable person when assigned duties and that the nation was shocked to receive the news of her passing. 

He said it was also saddening to have lost ‘such a soulso suddently’ because during her days, she was assigned several duties which she did with distinction.

However, President Masisi said though it was painful to lose someone of Moremi’s calibre, it was God’s plan for the deceased to have departed from this world.  

President Masisi further stated that the passing on of Ms Moremi, whom he had known for quite a long time, was not only a loss to the family, but to the nation as a whole and conveyed his heartfelt condolences and sympathies.

He said this coming weekend would be a busy one for him because on Sunday he would also have to attend a funeral of the mother to Ghanzi North MP, Mr Christiaan de Graaff in Ghanzi.

Earlier on when welcoming the President, family member and spokesperson, Ms Lydia Mooketsi explained that the late Moremi was a strong person who had been in and out of hospital for some time.

Ms Mooketsi explained further that a memorial service for the deceased was to be held at Christ the King Cathedral in Gaborone today at 5pm. 

Ambassador Moremi died on March 26 in Berlin, Germany at the age of 64. She was the founding Executive Secretary of SACU from 2004 to 2014.

She was also the first resident Ambassador of Botswana to Germany following the opening of the Embassy in Berlin in 2013. 

Ambassador Moremi started her career at the then Ministry of Finance and Development Planning in 1978 and progressed to the senior position of the coordinator of rural development programmes.

In 1993, she was promoted to the position of permanent secretary, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the highest ranking administrative position, thus making her the second female to be appointed permanent secretary.

During her 10-year tenure as permanent secretary (1993-2003), Moremi was chief policy advisor of the Ministry, successfully facilitating policy and legislation development in the field of trade and industry, business, wildlife and tourism.

Notably, she led the initiative to restructure the Ministry of Commerce and Industry resulting in the establishment of two separate ministries: Ministry of Trade and Industry as well as Ministry of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism.

Before her appointment as Ambassador Plenipotentiary and Extraordinary, Ms Moremi served as founding Executive Secretary of the Southern African Customs Union Secretariat in Windhoek, Namibia from 2004 to 2014.

Under her leadership, the SACU Secretariat was established as a reputable regional organisation, coordinating all customs-related matters for Member States.

She is survived by her only son, Lemogang, a sister and a brother. ENDS