NEWS: COMMUNITIES ADVISE AGAINST HUNTING SEASON EXTENSION [ PAGE 4 ] MPs, Ministers Why Masisi ECONOMY free of novel fired the shrinks by PAGE 3 PAGE PAGE 2 PAGE Corona virus HEALTH PS 2 PAGE 13 percent ISSN 2222-0348 P12.00 SATURDAY 25 APRIL - 01 MAY 2020 ONLINE www.weekendpost.co.bw NEWS: COVID-19 WORK IMPACT: 71% REPORT HIGH STRESS LEVELS 9 772222 034804 � President Masisi was to reshuffle his cabinet beginning of this month � Simon Mavhange Moabi was to replace Billy Buti at Ministry of Youth � Labour Ministry also set to combine with that of Gender & Nationality � Creation of two new Ministries would be triggered next financial year � Contracts of Senior civil servants will be extended until further notice READ PAGE 2 Ndaba Gaolathe linked to Ramaphosa advisory � Gaolathe’s consultancy company offering economic advice to Ramaphosa � Gaolathe turned down Masisi’s offer to head the Ministry of Finance � Delele (Pty) Ltd has been previously engaged in business in South Africa GOITSEONE SEVEN Gaolathe’s company, which has from 2014-2019 was considered a STAFF WRITER previously been involved in busi- member of former President Fes- ness in South Africa, closed the tus Mogae’s kitchen cabinet. reported deal in December 2019. His father, the late Baledzi lliance for Progressives The former lawmaker has Gaolathe, one of the country’s President, Ndaba Gaolathe however briefly denied that foremost economists, served as Ahas reportedly, through he is “not one of Ramaphosa’s Botswana’s finance minister for his consultancy company, Delele advisors”. Credible sources in- 10 years, under the presidency (Pty) Ltd, closed a deal with Pres- sist nevertheless that Gaolathe, of Festus Mogae, and briefly as ident of South Africa, Cyril Rama- through his company, forms part Minister of Trade and Industry phosa, in which he offers among of Ramphosa’s intelligentsia. during the formative years of Lt others economic advisory to gov- Gaolathe, who servedCOVID-19: as Mem- Gen Ian Khama presidency. PreventCONSULTATION: President social Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi on Friday stigmas received South Africa's President, Mr Cyril Ramaphosa's Special Envoy to ernment ofCOVID-19: South Africa. ber of Parliament Prevent for Gaborone social stigmas Lesotho, Mr Jeff Radebe to discuss issues of bilateral nature between Botswana and South Africa as well as regional issues of mutual According to sources, Bonnington South constituency FULL STORY ON PAGE 2 interest, with special emphasis on the political situation in Lesotho which has the potential to threaten regional peace. COVID-19: Prevent social stigmas COVID-19: Prevent social stigmas Knowledge is power, Show compassionKnowledge Take is power, care of theShow elderly. compassion Take care of the elderly. so spread facts to those affectedso spread facts to those affected by the disease. by the disease. Knowledge is power, Show compassion Take care of the elderly. so spread facts to those affected by the disease. Brought to you by MTN Brought to you by MTN For more info visit www.who.int/COVID-19For more info visit www.who.int/COVID-19 World Health Organisation 2020 World Health Organisation 2020 Knowledge is power, Show compassion Take care of the elderly. Brought to you by MTNso spread facts toFor those more affected info visit www.who.int/COVID-19 World Health Organisation 2020 by the disease. Brought to you by MTN For more info visit www.who.int/COVID-19 World Health Organisation 2020 2 WEEKENDPOST Saturday 25 April - 01 May 2020 news Ndaba close ranks with Ramaphosa in economic COVID-19 STOPS advisory deal Cabinet reshuffle KETUMILE RAMATITI plan succeed will be sacrificed. Things � President Masisi was to reshuffle his cabinet beginning of this month STAFF WRITER however are not looking glamorous for Balopi as there are reports suggest- � Simon Mavhange Moabi was to replace Billy Buti at Ministry of Youth ing a fallout between him and Masisi. resident Mokgweetsi Masisi’s However, all will not be lost as the � Labour Ministry also set to combine with that of Gender & Nationality long impending decision to two minister can still retain their post Pre-configure his Cabinet has � Creation of two new Ministries would be triggered next financial year as part of Masisi’s plan is to split two been dealt a huge blow following the ministries; Ministry of Investment outbreak of the COVID-19 ultimately � Contracts of Senior civil servants will be extended until further notice Trade and Industry, as well as Minis- GOITSEONE SEVEN forcing him to postpone it to the next fi- try of Transport and Communication. STAFF WRITER nancial year, WeekendPost has learnt. The development, was geared to- The COVID-19 pandemic, which wards fulfilling the aspirations of Vi- lliance for Progressives has since forced Masisi to declare a sion 2036 and improve Ease of Doing President, Ndaba Gaolathe six months State of Emergence and 28 business in Botswana. Ahas reportedly, through days lockdown, mean that no serious As the Ministry of Investment, Trade his consultancy company, Delele government decision that could be and Industry is divided into two, one of (Pty) Ltd, closed a deal with Presi- made, save for those that are aimed at which would focus on investment and dent of South Africa, Cyril Rama- fighting the Coronavirus. trade while the other fragment is to fo- phosa, in which he offers among Most of the developmental projects cus on small businesses. others economic advisory to gov- will be halted as funds are diverted to Regarding the Ministry of Transport ernment of South Africa. fight the invisible enemy. The situa- and Communications split, it was en- According to sources, tion is so dire such that government visaged that there would be Ministry Gaolathe’s company, which has has also taken brave stance of freezing of Communications, which would be previously been involved in busi- civil servants salary adjustments. housed under the Office of the President. ness in South Africa, closed the This is just to demonstrate how much Sources maintain that Kanye South reported deal in December 2019. of impact the virus has in the normal MP Thapelo Letsholo is earmarked for The former lawmaker has how- government operations, including Ma- one of the ministries while Balopi may ever briefly denied that he is “not sisi’s long planned cabinet reshuffle. be the beneficiary of the other ministry. one of Ramaphosa’s advisors”. Masisi was expected to make It is also expected that after this im- Credible sources insist neverthe- huge changes, a development which pending reshuffle, Masisi will also re- less that Gaolathe, through his would have seen some ministers be- name a number of ministries. This will company, forms part of Rampho- ing dropped from cabinet, barely few entail re-doing what Former President sa’s intelligentsia. months after being sworn in following Ian Khama did in 2016 when he re-orga- Gaolathe, who served as Mem- last year’s general elections. nized and re-designed ministries. ber of Parliament for Gaborone WeekendPost is reliably informed Facing ejection from the cabinet is velopments told this publication. Skills Development and that of Nation- Meanwhile some senior civil ser- Bonnington South constituency that as President Masisi was still con- Francistown East’s Honest Billy Buti In the run up to last year’s elections, ality, Immigration and Gender Affairs. vants’ contracts elapsed at the end of from 2014-2019 was considered a sulting with his inner circle before who is currently serving as. Initially Moabi was touted as a close ally to Masi- The former is headed by the Botswa- the government financial year (March member of former President Fes- st being disrupted by coronavirus, Tati when the cabinet was assembled, Buti si who reports even claimed that the lat- na Democratic Party (BDP) Secretary 31 ) but they will continue to occupy tus Mogae’s kitchen cabinet. West legislator, Simon Moabi’s name was not part of Masisi’s ministers, this ter assisted the former during campaign. General Mpho Balopi while the other their desk, sources have said. His father, the late Baledzi was mentioned frequently. publication’s informants say. While another information is still is held by Anna Mokgethi, who de- The contracts, sources say, they will Gaolathe, one of the country’s fore- The former Botswana Democratic “In fact Mavhange was a front-run- sketchy there are also reports claiming feated main opposition leader, Duma run until the virus has subsided. This most economists, served as Botswa- Party (BDP) Youth Wing leader was to ner for a cabinet post compared to intention to merge of some Ministries. Boko last year. is despite the fact that this week Ma- na’s finance minister for 10 years, un- be deployed at Ministry of Youth Em- him, it so happened that he was in- Informants revealed that the coun- This now left the two ministers, sisi fired Ministry of Health and Well- der the presidency of Festus Mogae, powerment Sports and Culture Develop- cluded but he was never part of the try’s leadership wants to fuse Ministry of Balopi and Mokgethi tittering on the ness PS Solomon Sekwakwa alongside and briefly as Minister of Trade and ment, as Tumiso Rakgare’s understudy. initial plan,” a source close to the de- Employment, Labour Productivity and edge as one of them should Masisi’s his deputy, Dr Morris Sinvula. Industry during the formative years of Lt Gen Ian Khama presidency. Ndaba himself, who grew up determined to emulate his father graduated with BA in Econom- ics and BSc in Mathematics from Why Masisi FIRED officials at the height of Covid-19 George Washington University, before reading MBA in Finance at the revered Wharton School of the KETUMILE RAMATITI According to the Public Health Act University of Pennsylvania.