Africa-Press – Botswana. The election of Ms Boitumelo Gofhamodimo as a new Specially Elected Member of Parliament has been hailed as testament of government’s desire to promote women’s political participation as a fundamental prerequisite for gender equality and genuine democracy.
With the 12th National Assembly composed of 57 elected parliamentarians, 54 of whom are men, President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi during his inauguration speech reiterated the need to increase the presence and participation of women in politics.
Special nomination is a presidential dispensation, which allows the head of state to rope in expertise outside the elected representatives.
Ms Gofhamodimo is a high achiever in her own right and there are high expectations from her to add value to the 12th Parliament.
Cognizant that the 12th Parliament is left with a few months before it is dissolved in readiness for the upcoming general elections, the new SEMP is expected to hit the ground running with little time to acclimatise.
Though her nomination raised some eyebrows for a number of reasons, especially that she is a technocrat unknown in the political landscape, Ms Gofhamodimo joins the legislature with one of the richest résumés in economic.
Speaking in an interview following her election, Ms Gofhamodimo said she felt honoured to be nominated among other equally deserving candidates.
Ms Gofhamodimo vowed to give her best in her new appointment as a legislator and promised to contribute towards taking the country forward in attaining the goals and aspirations of Vision 2036.
“I have for many years worked in the trade and industry space and as we are all aware of the impact of trade and industrialisation in job creation and economic growth, I am driven to use my expertise to contribute to Botswana’s industrialisation drive and the developmental agenda,” she said.
In possession of a Master of Arts Degree in Economics, Ms Gofhamodimo has served in the public service and intergovernmental organisations for over 30 years.
The Kanye native started her career in the Ministry of Trade and Industry in June 1986 and served in different capacities, becoming the founding director of the Department of International Trade in September 2003 and later on seconded to the SADC Secretariat as chief technical advisor for the SADC-EU Economic Partnership Agreement negotiations.
Ms Gofhamodimo was appointed by the SADC Secretariat as director responsible for Trade, Industry, Finance and Investment, the position she held for eight years until November 2016.
Thereafter, she joined UNDP- Botswana, where she was responsible for guiding the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals agenda in Botswana for two years (2018 – 2020), based at the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning.
She also served as deputy secretary responsible for Macroeconomic Policy in the Ministry of Finance and was later transferred to the National Planning Commission in the same position.
Having been responsible for national planning at the time, she played a significant role in preparation for the second Transitional National Development Plan.
She retired from the public service in September 2023.
Ms Gofhamodimo has also been involved in economic research on matters pertaining to regional integration, women and trade, and the informal sector.
She has served in several boards, locally and regionally, including the Botswana Power Corporation, Local Enterprise Authority, Botswana Unified Revenue Service, and the Governing Council of the African Institute for Economic Development and Planning, based in Dakar, Senegal.
DAILYNEWS
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