Africa-Press – Botswana. Following his party’s poor performance in the October 30 polls, former President, Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi has announced his retirement from active politics to pursue other passions.
“I will definitely not be coming back to party politics, I am certain I am not coming back,” Dr Masisi said as he addressed government accounting officers on Friday afternoon.
Botswana Democratic Party lost its 58-year grip on power to Umbrella for Democratic Change(UDC) led by President Advocate Duma Boko during the last week elections.
Dr Masisi, who has already promised a seamless transition of power, as well as support to the new government, implored government accounting officers to support and submit to the new administration.
Among the government accounting officers is the permanent secretary to the president, permanent secretaries, commander of Botswana Defence Force, Commissioner of Botswana Police Service, Commissioner of Botswana Prison Services and Director General of the Directorate of Intelligence and Security Services.
He told the senior public officers that the new administration could appoint and bring its own people and said they should submit to the new leadership as public officers.
“I am not your boss anymore,” he said, dding that“They (new administration) have the right to appoint whom they want”.
Dr Masisi said he was ready to handover files and usher the new President into his office.
“It is a very important ritual, it calms everyone down,” Dr Masisi stated.
The 63-year-old former president implored accounting officers to brief the new administration on all projects under their jurisdiction.
He said as senior public officers, they must be loyal to the government of the day and remain focused on the integrity of the public service which was apolitical.
Furthermore, Dr Masisi said there were files on his desk, which he could not attend to as he was on a campaign trail, and he promised to hand them to President Advocate Duma Boko.
Also, he said the government-Debswana deal had not been signed yet and noted that the incoming administration had the right to re-negotiate the deal.
Furthermore, he dismissed as untrue,pronouncements that the country was broke.
Notwithstanding that, he said the economic performance had declined owing to decline in diamond revenues as well as expenditure on ongoing projects.
As for the United Nations Landlocked Developing Countries conference, which was scheduled to be hosted by the country in December, Dr Masisi said although it was his wish for it to come to Botswana, the new administration would make the final determination.
Permanent Secretary to the President Ms Emma Peloetletse thanked Dr Masisi for his mentorship and promised that accounting officers would not disappoint as they knew the responsibility that came with the public service.
“We are one of the most stable public services and we will remain that,” she said, adding that they were already preparing briefing notes for the new administration.
President Boko’s UDC won the state power which eluded the opposition parties since 1966 when the country gained independence.
The University of Botswana alumni and Harvard Law School educated human rights lawyer becomes the country’s sixth President.
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