Botswana’s Vice President, Ndaba Gaolathe, has been appointed by President Duma Boko as the country’s new finance minister, alongside his responsibilities as vice president. This announcement came as Boko introduced the initial cabinet members of his administration.
Gaolathe and Boko, who ran on the ticket of the Umbrella for Democratic Change coalition, recently won power from Botswana’s long-standing ruling party, which had governed the country for nearly six decades.
Analysts suggest that economic difficulties, particularly their impact on the youth, played a significant role in Boko’s electoral success. Gaolathe’s primary tasks will include boosting economic growth, which the International Monetary Fund predicts will decline to 1% this year due to a decrease in diamond production. “We are in a dire economic and financial situation. He has a huge job in his hands. He has to steer us through these choppy and turbulent waters,” Boko stated in a press conference, emphasizing Gaolathe’s critical role.
In addition to Gaolathe’s appointment, an opposition lawmaker has been named deputy health minister, and an independent lawmaker has been appointed as deputy agriculture minister.
