29 Oct 2026

President Advocate Duma Boko is scheduled to deliver the keynote address at a five-day Parliamentary Leadership Retreat in Kasane on Monday.

The retreat scheduled for November 2-6, will bring together Members of Parliament to focus on legislative governance and strategic leadership ahead of the State-of-the-Nation Adress, which marks the beginning of the third session of the 13th Parliament.

In an interview, Parliament Chief Public Relations Officer, Mr Silas Sehularo revealed that the retreat, fully sponsored by UNDP was designed to provide legislators with a dedicated platform to reflect on their leadership responsibilities, strengthen parliamentary performance and deepen their understanding of Botswana’s development and economic transformation priorities

He said the event, which was anchored on the theme: Leading with Integrity: Shaping Transformation: Serving Batswana, served as a collaborative forum for MPs, senior state officials, and the UNDP Resident Coordinator, alongside various specialised resource persons

Mr Sehularo explained that the forum intended to strengthen members’ ability to interrogate policies and programmes, scrutinise public expenditure, assess implementation and hold the executive accountable for results to safeguard the interests of the citizens.

He said the retreat came at a time when Botswana was pursuing economic and institutional transformation, with greater emphasis on diversification, productivity, human capital development, innovation, digital transformation, fiscal responsibility and private-sector-led growth.

Mr Sehularo said the platform was an opportunity for members to deepen their understanding on key national development programmes, including National Development Plan 12 and the Botswana Economic Transformation Programme.

“The retreat will explore a number of interconnected themes, including ethical leadership, effective representation, parliamentary oversight, committee performance, budget accountability, public communication, citizen engagement and institutional effectiveness.”

He said it provided space for members to reflect on how Parliament could respond more effectively to address citizen expectations and contribute meaningfully to Botswana’s transformation agenda.

Furthermore, he remarked that the retreat’s agenda would actively examine the broader economic potential of the Chobe region, including key diversification initiatives like the Pandamatenga Special Economic Zone, to drive the national transformation agenda.

Mr Sehularo said the retreat was expected to conclude with practical outcomes that would strengthen governance and improve the effectiveness of Parliament.

“These include a proposed Botswana Parliamentary Leadership Compact, foundations for parliamentary ethical standards, a High-Performance Parliament Action Framework, and a Parliamentary Transformation and Oversight Agenda.”

Beyond the retreat, he noted members were expected to identify practical commitments and follow-up actions that could inform their work in Parliament, particularly in legislation, committee oversight, budget scrutiny, representation and engagement with citizens.

Furthermore, Mr Sehularo stated that the National Assembly, with technical support from UNDP, would facilitate mechanisms for documenting commitments and reviewing progress after the retreat. ENDS