Is this our next Finance Minister?

Political pundits within and outside the ruling Botswana Democratic Party were this week speculating that Bank of Botswana’s outgoing Governor, Linah Mohohlo is headed for a political career.

She has been hinted as one of the possible candidates that could be nominated for the Specially Elected Member of Parliament seat, Botswana Guardian can today reveal. Last week, the central bank ended speculation about the retirement of Mohohlo who has been at the helm of the bank for more than 15 years. However, just a week after the announcement, news reaching this publication is that her name is making rounds within the ruling party for a possible nomination to parliament in the coming weeks.
However, she is not the only one, as several names have also been bandied. Parliament has since approved the Bill calling for the increase of MPs and Ministries and President Ian Khama has signed the Bill into law, which in effect means two specially elected MPs will be added to the current crop.

Names have been thrown around but sources within the BDP have revealed that during BDP Parliamentary caucus meeting the President has stood firm that among the two who will be nominated by the party he would settle for a female.
The current Specially Elected MPs include only one female being Dr. Unity Dow, who is Minister of Basic Education. Mohohlo is believed to possess special skills needed for a Specially Elected MP. It is also said that with a well-decorated CV Mohohlo could also be taken on board to deputise Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Kenneth Matambo. Mohohlo was not available for comment.

Matambo, also a specially elected MP, has been without an assistant since 2008, when then Assistant Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Guma Moyo, was pushed out of cabinet amidst fears that the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) was about to haul him before court to answer allegations of corruption. Sources have revealed that should Mohohlo accept the nomination, she would likely take over the finance ministry post 2019 election when Matambo’s second term as specially-elected MP comes to an end, should BDP retain governance. Matambo did not contest the 2014 general election and President Khama brought him back on special nomination to handle the finance ministry. 

It is not yet clear if Matambo would seek to return to Parliament by contesting for election but insiders say the minister is done with politics. BDP will hold primary elections starting next year August. Efforts to confirm if Matambo was interested in contesting elections were futile as he was not answering his mobile phone.Former President Festus Mogae appointed Mohohlo Governor in 1999, following a 23-year career during which she rose through the ranks from secretary in 1976 to senior levels in economic research, human resources and financial markets, where she was responsible for monetary operations and investment of the country’s foreign exchange reserve.

Matambo joined politics after retiring from Botswana Development Corporation (BDC) as its Managing Director. For close to ten years, Matambo headed BDC, which he helped to turn around from a money losing entity. Indications are that the BDP might decide on names of the additional two specially-elected MPs during its caucus meeting expected to be held next week Tuesday. It is said that names of nominees will be presented during the October Parliament session expected to start  eitheron the 17th or the 24th of this month. The session will consider the National Development Plan 11 before the State of the Nation Address starts next month.

Government Chief Whip Liakat Kably could not confirm or deny that BDP Parliamentary caucus meeting would be held next week. He said even if the issue of especially-elected MPs could be part of the agenda it is not for media consumption. “It would be communicated in the appropriate time when names of nominees are announced. We will announce our nominees as well our colleagues from the opposition would nominate their preferred candidates. As for now we do not have any names and Speaker of Parliament has not yet communicated when Parliament would sit”, said Kably who is also MP for Letlhakeng-Lephephe.