26 Feb 2023

Government has spent P209 069.27 in total to cover President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi’s official travel to the United States of America from August 10-19 last year.

This was revealed by Minister for State President, Mr Kabo Morwaeng in response to a parliamentary question recently.

Minister Morwaeng explained that funds covered subsistence costs, incidental as well as transportation and hotel expenses.

“His Excellency the President was on private leave once in August last year and was never on any holiday that attracted costs to government,” he said.

The minister added that the President was a public figure and his whereabouts were consistently communicated to the public through the Botswana Government

Communications and Information Systems (BGCIS) publications and other media.

“So his whereabouts are not a secret,” the minister explained.

He said the appointment of the Vice President, Mr Slumber Tsogwane to discharge the functions of the Office of the President while the President was on private leave in August last year was gazetted in the Government Gazette Vol. LX No. 103 dated August 19, 2022.

Member of Parliament for Sefhare/Ramokgonami, Dr Kesitegile Gobotswang had asked the minister to update Parliament on the official communication of August last year on the Vice President’s acting appointment.

Dr Gobotswang wanted to know if the acting appointment was gazetted as including the list of countries the President visited during his private leave as well as the cost of such holidays.

He also wanted to know the number of leaves the President had undertaken since 2019. ENDS