12 Jul 2018

The Minister for Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration Mr Nonofo Molefhi has told Parliament that the President is entitled to invite a guest when he travels as specified in paragraph 48 (1) of the Green Book. 

Mr Molefhi said that transport and accommodation expenses were incurred by government.  He said President Masisi had on a few occasions invited not only the secretary general of the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) during his official assignment but members of the opposition noting that during one of his travels he was accompanied by Dr Phenyo Butale of the Alliance for Progressives. 

He said in all the trips that the  BDP secretary general had accompanied the President, it was the BDP that had borne the costs of his upkeep, thus no costs on the side of government.

Mr Molefhi said the rationale for inviting the BDP secretary general to accompany the President during his trips was mainly geared towards strengthening relations between the BDP-led government and other like-minded democratic governments. 

MP for Francistown South Mr Wynter Mmolotsi had asked the minister to state what the role of the BDP secretary general was in the entourage of the President to official assignments and to state who paid during those visits. 

Mr Mmolotsi also wanted to know how much the ministry had paid for his travel and upkeep during the trips and how it benefited  the country. BOPA