The Botswana Congress Party (BCP) recently announced its shadow cabinet before the media. Speaking at the unveiling event, BCP president Dumelang Saleshando said the development followed a promise he made when responding to the State-of-the-Nation Address (SONA) recently.
“As the main opposition party, we have decided that the 13th Parliament will be the first to have a shadow cabinet,” he said. According to Saleshando, the practice of having a shadow cabinet by the main opposition was common in progressive democracies globally, and was also in line with the Westminster Foundation of Democracy which Botswana had adopted.
Saleshando said that shadow cabinet allowed Parliament to have an opposition that could be able to play a strong and effective oversight role on the ruling party. “Such an oversight will result in Parliament serving Batswana much better,” he said.
Saleshando noted that the shadow ministers would mirror the ministries that existed in government. However, he pointed out that as the BCP had only 15 legislators versus 18 cabinet members, they were compelled to have three of their members of parliament holding two shadow ministries.
“The responsibility of shadow ministers will be to closely analyse policies brought by government ministers. They will also be the voice of the opposition on issues under the ministries they will shadow,” he said. Furthermore, Saleshando stated that the shadow ministers would be responsible for bringing alternative bills to Parliament.
He said that this would give Batswana a glimpse of what laws the opposition would have come up with were they in power.
Saleshando explained that the concept of coming up with a shadow cabinet as the main opposition will help improve democracy.
He said that they came up with the shadow cabinet alive to the fact that the practice was not provided for under the current Parliament Standing Orders.
“However, President Duma Boko has indicated that we are traversing uncharted waters, so we hope that from here we will then deal with the Standing Orders and Reforms Committee, to find a way of reviewing the standing orders to recognise this arrangement,” he said.
The shadow cabinet is as follows: Dumelang Saleshando – Minister of Finance, Minerals and Energy.
Unity Dow – State Presidency and International Cooperation, Caterpillar Hikuama – Child Welfare, Basic and Higher Education, Kesitegile Gobotswang – Lands and Agriculturer, Taolo Lucas – Local Government and Traditional Affairs, Goretetse Kekgonegile – Labour and Home Affairs, Kenny Kapinga – Justice and Correctional Services, Philemon Arone – Ministry of Health, Gabatsholwe Disho – Tourism and Environment, Motlhaleemang Moalosi – Communications and Innovation, Tlhabologo Furniture – Youth and Gender Affairs, Simasiku Mapulanga -Sport and Arts, Boniface Mabeo – Trade and Entrepreneurship, Kgoberego Nkawana -Transport and Infrastructure and Reuben Kaizer – Water and Human Settlements.
