20 Sep 2020

Following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, government moved to establish the epidemic preparedness and response team made up of senior officials.

Vice President Mr Slumber Tsogwane told Parliament that the team met daily at an established command centre and gathered information about the pandemic. 

He said they also received global updates, assessed progress reports from various districts regarding their capacity, reviewed management options and response activities as well as the provision of public education and information.

He said a presidential task force chaired by President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi had been established to oversee all activities related to preventive measures and rapid response to the pandemic.

“I would like to highlight that the coordination of the national response is done at the highest level in the Office of the President.

The President used his executive powers as provided under Section 47 of the Constitution to appoint the task force.

These comprise among others ministers, Business Botswana, public sectors,” he said.

Mr Tsogwane said members of the coordinating team were appointed in accordance with the provisions of Section 112 of the Constitution.

He said they were appointed from the fields of epidemiology, medicine, lab science, communications and other fields.

He said the role of the coordinating team was to develop strategies and mechanisms to enhance response, to provide monitoring and evaluation and to ensure effective and efficient communication across government and the nation. He said Section 17 of the Constitution empowered the President to declare a state of public emergency at any time.

“Where the President declares a state of emergency when Parliament is not sitting, such state of emergency ceases after 21 days.

Upon realisation that 21 days will not be sufficient to employ the necessary pandemic control measures, Parliament endorsed an extension of the period of the state of public emergency to six months starting April 2, 2020,” he added.

Mr Tsogwane confirmed that members of the task force received remunerations for their duties.

He said to date they had collectively been paid P2.3 million.

He said the communication team had been set up and that members were selected from various organisations both within government, parastatals and private sector.

Mr Tsogwane said the team was selected the same way as the overall coordinating team was selected.

He said members were initially appointed for four months and that their appointments had been extended by two months. He added that the terms and conditions under which they were appointed was guided by the magnitude of the task associated with the pandemic.

Their focus, he said, was to provide technical support to the government communications information office as well as to enhance the implementation of a communication strategy and campaigns on COVID- 19.

He added that the pandemic required collective efforts from government, political leadership, strategic partners, private sector and other relevant stakeholders.

Leader of the Opposition, Mr Dumelang Saleshando had asked Minister for Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration to state if members of the task force received any remuneration for their task force duties, and if they received, the minister should state how much each member has been paid to date.

He also asked if there had been any communication task team and to state the number of the team as well as the criteria used in selecting the team. ENDS