Botswana has inaugurated Mokgweetsi Masisi as its fifth president, in a ceremony designed to highlight a smooth transition of power in one of Africa’s strongest democracies.

The ex-vice president took over on Sunday from Ian Khama, who stepped down after his term limit – 10 years – was reached. Elections are scheduled for next year.

In his first address to the nation, Masisi vowed to focus on tackling unemployment, which stands at about 20 percent.

“Botswana faces a myriad of challenges, such as unemployment, poverty, crime, HIV/AIDs, alcohol and drug abuse, amongst others,” he said.

“Therefore, my top priorities as a president of this country will be to address the problem of unemployment, especially among the young people who constitute to the majority of our population.”

Donald Rasikela, one of those unemployed listening to that speech, told Al Jazeera that he hoped the president would live up to his word.

“My expectation is that he will improve government efficiency in order to create job opportunities for the youth,” he said.

“I hope he will improve social services to deal with employment.”

Some opposition members of parliament skipped the event, partly because of a rare corruption scandal that involves the national petroleum fund.

Those who did attend say they need to keep the president and his government honest.

“We are going to continue playing our oversight role, continue to seek more clarity from the president in terms of the way forward … how he intends to deal with unemployment because this country has been experiencing what we call jobless growth,” Phenyo Butale, an opposition politician, told Al Jazeera.

Masisi has 18 months to assert his authority within the ruling Democratic party before national elections in October 2019.

Botswana gets to choose its members of parliament and then the party with the majority of votes in turn elects a president. Masisi hopes to be that man.

“Many people are saying that they don’t think that the new president is going to move very far from former president Ian Khama’s socialist policies,” said Al Jazeera’s Catherine Soi, reporting from Botswana’s capital, Gaborone.

“Khama was concerned with poverty eradication particularly in rural areas. So people expect that President Masisi will keep in line with that but they also hope he’ll have his own ideas and vision.”

His first test will be this week when he names his vice president and cabinet.

Botswana has enjoyed strong economic growth and a stable multi-party system since gaining independence from the United Kingdom just over 50 years ago.

It is one of the world’s largest producers of diamonds, but Masisi believes the country is too reliant on the gem and wants to diversify trade.</s>Botswana’s new president, sworn in on Sunday as the landlocked country’s fifth post-colonial leader, said he would give priority to tackling youth unemployment and diversifying its economy.

Retired teacher Mokgweetsi Masisi, who takes over from former army general Ian Khama, inherits a state with a reputation as one of Africa’s rare political and economic success stories.

But he faces a huge task in attempting to reduce its dependence on the diamond trade while creating more jobs after collapsing commodity prices tipped it into recession in 2015.

“We still seek to build a Botswana in which sustained development is underpinned by economic diversification,” Masisi told a cheering crowd in parliament. “One of my top priorities ... will be to address the problem of unemployment especially amongst the young.”

Botswana, with a population of some 2 million, has a jobless rate of around 20 percent, with youth unemployment thought to be much higher.

Khama, 65, and a son of the country first president Seretse, bowed out after two five-year terms in a scripted succession that compelled him to hand over power to his deputy.

Masisi becomes only Botswana’s third leader outside the Khama dynasty since its independence from Britain in 1966.

As part of efforts to branch out of diamonds, he also said his government would scale up access to technical education and set up initiatives in tourism, mining, beef and financial services.

But the country’s opposition predicted little change, saying Masisi as deputy president was instrumental in an economic strategy that had failed to adapt the economy to the needs of a new generation of finance and science graduates.

“There is no need to celebrate, the change of guard will just be cosmetic. As vice president he... failed even at the time he was at the ministry of education,” said a spokesman for the UDC opposition coalition, Moeti Mohwasa.

After working for United Nations Children’s Fund, Masisi became a lawmaker in 2009. He served as a minister of public affairs from 2011 to 2014, when Khama named him minister of education and, later the same year, also vice president.

Viewed by the markets as more business-friendly than his predecessor, Masisi will serve as leader until national elections in October 2019, for which the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) is expected to name him as its presidential candidate.

The BDP has governed the country since independence but for the first time won less than 50 percent of the vote for the legislature in the previous election in 2014. Polls suggest its share will fall further in next year’s ballot.</s>GABORONE - Botswana’s new president, sworn in on Sunday as the landlocked country’s fifth post-colonial leader, said he would give priority to tackling youth unemployment and diversifying its economy.

Retired teacher Mokgweetsi Masisi, who takes over from former army general Ian Khama, inherits a state with a reputation as one of Africa’s rare political and economic success stories.

But he faces a huge task in attempting to reduce its dependence on the diamond trade while creating more jobs after collapsing commodity prices tipped it into recession in 2015.

“We still seek to build a Botswana in which sustained development is underpinned by economic diversification,” Masisi told a cheering crowd in parliament. “One of my top priorities ... will be to address the problem of unemployment especially amongst the young.”

Botswana, with a population of some 2 million, has a jobless rate of around 20 percent, with youth unemployment thought to be much higher.

Khama, 65, and a son of the country first president Seretse, bowed out after two five-year terms in a scripted succession that compelled him to hand over power to his deputy.

Masisi becomes only Botswana’s third leader outside the Khama dynasty since its independence from Britain in 1966.

As part of efforts to branch out of diamonds, he also said his government would scale up access to technical education and set up initiatives in tourism, mining, beef and financial services.

But the country’s opposition predicted little change, saying Masisi as deputy president was instrumental in an economic strategy that had failed to adapt the economy to the needs of a new generation of finance and science graduates.

“There is no need to celebrate, the change of guard will just be cosmetic. As vice president he... failed even at the time he was at the ministry of education,” said a spokesman for the UDC opposition coalition, Moeti Mohwasa.

After working for United Nations Children’s Fund, Masisi became a lawmaker in 2009. He served as a minister of public affairs from 2011 to 2014, when Khama named him minister of education and, later the same year, also vice president.

Viewed by the markets as more business-friendly than his predecessor, Masisi will serve as leader until national elections in October 2019, for which the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) is expected to name him as its presidential candidate.

The BDP has governed the country since independence but for the first time won less than 50 percent of the vote for the legislature in the previous election in 2014. Polls suggest its share will fall further in next year’s ballot.</s>GABORONE, April 1 (Reuters) - Botswana's new president, sworn in on Sunday as the landlocked country's fifth post-colonial leader, said he would give priority to tackling youth unemployment and diversifying its economy.

Retired teacher Mokgweetsi Masisi, who takes over from former army general Ian Khama, inherits a state with a reputation as one of Africa's rare political and economic success stories.

But he faces a huge task in attempting to reduce its dependence on the diamond trade while creating more jobs after collapsing commodity prices tipped it into recession in 2015.

"We still seek to build a Botswana in which sustained development is underpinned by economic diversification," Masisi told a cheering crowd in parliament. "One of my top priorities ... will be to address the problem of unemployment especially amongst the young."

Botswana, with a population of some 2 million, has a jobless rate of around 20 percent, with youth unemployment thought to be much higher.

Khama, 65, and a son of the country first president Seretse, bowed out after two five-year terms in a scripted succession that compelled him to hand over power to his deputy.

Masisi becomes only Botswana's third leader outside the Khama dynasty since its independence from Britain in 1966.

As part of efforts to branch out of diamonds, he also said his government would scale up access to technical education and set up initiatives in tourism, mining, beef and financial services.

But the country's opposition predicted little change, saying Masisi as deputy president was instrumental in an economic strategy that had failed to adapt the economy to the needs of a new generation of finance and science graduates.

"There is no need to celebrate, the change of guard will just be cosmetic. As vice president he... failed even at the time he was at the ministry of education," said a spokesman for the UDC opposition coalition, Moeti Mohwasa.

After working for United Nations Children's Fund, Masisi became a lawmaker in 2009. He served as a minister of public affairs from 2011 to 2014, when Khama named him minister of education and, later the same year, also vice president.

Viewed by the markets as more business-friendly than his predecessor, Masisi will serve as leader until national elections in October 2019, for which the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) is expected to name him as its presidential candidate.

The BDP has governed the country since independence but for the first time won less than 50 percent of the vote for the legislature in the previous election in 2014. Polls suggest its share will fall further in next year's ballot. (Writing by Tiisetso Motsoeneng; editing by John Stonestreet)</s>The Southern African nation of Botswana has sworn-in its new president in the person of Mokgweetsi Masisi. The 55-year-old becomes the country’s 5th president.

He took the oath of office before the country’s national assembly in the presence of the Chief Justice, the Speaker of Parliament and his immediate predecessor, Seretse Khama Ian Khama.

The official oath was administered by Chief Justice Maruping Dibotelo. President Masisi went on to deliver his inaugural speech before inspecting a guard of honour mounted by the Botswana Defence Force.

Masisi takes over a nation widely reputed across the world as one of Africa’s beacons of democracy. The diamond rich nation is also seen as one with sound economic management despite a seeming over dependency on the natural resource.

Botswana law caps presidential tenures to two five-year terms, it allows the vice president to automatically fill the post should it become vacant. Khama came to power through a similar arrangement where he took over from the country’s third president Festus Mogae in 2008 before polls in 2009.

The National Assembly will elect a new president after elections scheduled for October 2019.

The immediate past president Ian Khama, 65, a retired army general who bowed out on March 31, 2018 after a nationwide farewell tour is known as a straight talker under whose watch the country all but broke diplomatic ranks.

The Khama-led government publicly criticised leaders including US President Donald Trump for an alleged slur against African countries and former Zimbabwe’s president Robert Mugabe as well DRC’s Joseph Kabila for overstaying their welcome.

In his inaugural address, he touched on challenges and prospects the country faced as he takes charge, saying; “As you all know, Botswana faces a myriad of challenges such as unemployment, poverty, crime, HIV and AIDS, alcohol and drug abuse, amongst others.

“Therefore, one of my top priorities as the President of this country will be to address the problem of unemployment especially amongst the young people who constitute the majority of our population. The young people, who make 60% of the population of this country, are the future leaders and therefore investing in them is building the bridge to the future.

“The realisation of the demographic dividend is of paramount and strategic importance since the success of our youth is the only guarantee of the long term economic prospects of Botswana. It is imperative therefore, for Government to redouble its effort to optimise the participation of our youthful population in the economy of this country,” he stressed.</s>Botswana has inaugurated Mokgweetsi Masisi as its fifth president, in a ceremony designed to highlight a smooth transition of power in one of Africa's strongest democracies.

The ex-vice president took over on Sunday from Ian Khama, who stepped down after his term limit - 10 years - was reached. Elections are scheduled for next year.

In his first address to the nation, Masisi vowed to focus on tackling unemployment, which stands at about 20 percent.

"Botswana faces a myriad of challenges, such as unemployment, poverty, crime, HIV/AIDs, alcohol and drug abuse, amongst others," he said.

"Therefore, my top priorities as a president of this country will be to address the problem of unemployment, especially among the young people who constitute to the majority of our population."

Donald Rasikela, one of those unemployed listening to that speech, told Al Jazeera that he hoped the president would live up to his word.

"My expectation is that he will improve government efficiency in order to create job opportunities for the youth," he said.

"I hope he will improve social services to deal with employment."

Some opposition members of parliament skipped the event, partly because of a rare corruption scandal that involves the national petroleum fund.

Those who did attend say they need to keep the president and his government honest.

"We are going to continue playing our oversight role, continue to seek more clarity from the president in terms of the way forward ... how he intends to deal with unemployment because this country has been experiencing what we call jobless growth," Phenyo Butale, an opposition politician, told Al Jazeera.

Masisi has 18 months to assert his authority within the ruling Democratic party before national elections in October 2019.

Botswana gets to choose its members of parliament and then the party with the majority of votes in turn elects a president. Masisi hopes to be that man.

"Many people are saying that they don't think that the new president is going to move very far from former president Ian Khama's socialist policies," said Al Jazeera's Catherine Soi, reporting from Botswana's capital, Gaborone.

"Khama was concerned with poverty eradication particularly in rural areas. So people expect that President Masisi will keep in line with that but they also hope he'll have his own ideas and vision."

His first test will be this week when he names his vice president and cabinet.

Botswana has enjoyed strong economic growth and a stable multi-party system since gaining independence from the United Kingdom just over 50 years ago.

It is one of the world's largest producers of diamonds, but Masisi believes the country is too reliant on the gem and wants to diversify trade.</s>Botswana prepared to inaugurate Mokgweetsi Masisi as president on Sunday in a ceremony designed to highlight a smooth handover of power in one of Africa's most stable countries.

Ian Khama, the son of Botswana's first post-independence leader, officially stepped down as president on Saturday after serving the constitutional maximum of 10 years in office.

His vice president, Masisi, will take over a county widely seen as a success story -- benefitting from good governance and lucrative income from its diamond, beef and tourism sectors.

It is rated as the least corrupt country in Africa by Transparency International, but has recently struggled with rising unemployment and tensions over the uneven sharing of its vast diamond wealth.

Khama finished a national farewell tour this week, bidding a months-long goodbye to the country's population of 2.2-million.

The government published photographs of Masisi attending Saturday's dress rehearsal for the inauguration.</s>Botswana's new president, sworn in on Sunday as the landlocked country's fifth post-colonial leader, said he would give priority to tackling youth unemployment and diversifying its economy.

Retired teacher Mokgweetsi Masisi, who takes over from former army general Ian Khama, inherits a state with a reputation as one of Africa's rare political and economic success stories.

But he faces a huge task in attempting to reduce its dependence on the diamond trade while creating more jobs after collapsing commodity prices tipped it into recession in 2015.

"We still seek to build a Botswana in which sustained development is underpinned by economic diversification," Masisi told a cheering crowd in parliament. "One of my top priorities ... will be to address the problem of unemployment especially amongst the young."

Botswana, with a population of some 2 million, has a jobless rate of around 20 percent, with youth unemployment thought to be much higher.

Khama, 65, and a son of the country first president Seretse, bowed out after two five-year terms in a scripted succession that compelled him to hand over power to his deputy.

Masisi becomes only Botswana's third leader outside the Khama dynasty since its independence from Britain in 1966.

As part of efforts to branch out of diamonds, he also said his government would scale up access to technical education and set up initiatives in tourism, mining, beef and financial services.

But the country's opposition predicted little change, saying Masisi as deputy president was instrumental in an economic strategy that had failed to adapt the economy to the needs of a new generation of finance and science graduates.

"There is no need to celebrate, the change of guard will just be cosmetic. As vice president he... failed even at the time he was at the ministry of education," said a spokesman for the UDC opposition coalition, Moeti Mohwasa.

After working for United Nations Children's Fund, Masisi became a lawmaker in 2009. He served as a minister of public affairs from 2011 to 2014, when Khama named him minister of education and, later the same year, also vice president.

Viewed by the markets as more business-friendly than his predecessor, Masisi will serve as leader until national elections in October 2019, for which the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) is expected to name him as its presidential candidate.

The BDP has governed the country since independence but for the first time won less than 50 percent of the vote for the legislature in the previous election in 2014. Polls suggest its share will fall further in next year's ballot.</s>GABORONE (Reuters) - Ian Khama, a retired army general, stepped down as president of Botswana on Saturday, handing the diamond-rich country to his deputy after a decade at the helm.

FILE PHOTO: Botswana President Ian Khama looks on during the Botswana-South Africa Bi-National Commission (BNC) in Pretoria, South Africa, November 11, 2016. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko/File Photo

Mokgweetsi Masisi becomes only the third leader to take charge of the southern African nation outside the Khama political dynasty that has dominated national politics since independence from Britain in 1966.

Masisi, 55, inherits a country that has for decades been heralded as a beacon of African democracy and sound economic management but faces a huge task of reducing the country’s dependence on diamonds.

“I am not sure about his competency in as far as the economy is concerned, but if he has the respect of his ministers then he should be able to make them deliver,” said political analyst Ndulamo Anthony Morima.

Masisi, a trained teacher who has also worked for the United Nations Children’s Fund as an education project officer for eight years until 2003, was elected lawmaker in 2009. He served in the president’s office as a minister of public affairs from 2011 until 2014 when Khama named him minister of education, a post he held until appointed vice president last year.

“The business community sees him as being more business-friendly so that should work well for the economy. He seems to be more likely to come up with regulation that enables more economic activity,” said RMB Botswana economist Moatlhodi Sebabole.

Masisi takes office more than a year before the election under Botswana’s constitution that restricts the president to serving two five-year terms. Khama, son the son of Botswana’s first president, Seretse, also took over from Festus Mogae a year before the 2009 election.

One of the world’s poorest countries in the 1970s, Botswana transformed itself into one of the fastest-growing economies by harnessing around $3 billion a year in diamond sales, to become one of the world’s biggest producers, and gained middle-income status.

But dependence on its wealth from the diamond industry might be catching up with the landlocked country of just two million after the collapse in commodity prices in 2014 tipped its economy into recession three years ago.

“He is well versed with current challenges that the country is facing and I am sure he is quite capable of delivering,” said Mothusi Sename, a 41-year-old taxi driver in Gaborone, referring to Masisi.

END OF POLITICAL DYNASTY?

Khama’s departure leaves his younger brother and tourism minister Tshekedi as the only member of the family holding a high-profile post in the government, and depending on who Masisi picks as vice president, it would be the first time a Khama is not part of the top tier of national leadership.

Khama, a 65-year old bachelor, is known as a straight talker having publicly criticized leaders including U.S. President Donald Trump for an alleged slur against African countries and then-president Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe for overstaying his welcome.

Khama was born in Britain after his father a married a white British woman Ruth Williams, defying convention and opposition in Africa and Britain. Their story was depicted in the 2016 film ‘A United Kingdom’.

His party, Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), is expected to name Masisi as its presidential candidate for next year’s election.

Masisi will be inaugurated on Sunday.</s>Posted on 1 April 2018 - 01:55pm Last updated on 1 April 2018 - 02:13pm

GABORONE: Botswana prepared to inaugurate Mokgweetsi Masisi as president on Sunday in a ceremony designed to highlight a smooth handover of power in one of Africa's most stable countries.

Ian Khama, the son of Botswana's first post-independence leader, officially stepped down as president on Saturday after serving the constitutional maximum of 10 years in office.

His vice president, Masisi, will take over a county widely seen as a success story -- benefitting from good governance and lucrative income from its diamond, beef and tourism sectors.

It is rated as the least corrupt country in Africa by Transparency International but has recently struggled with rising unemployment and tensions over the uneven sharing of its vast diamond wealth.

Khama finished a national farewell tour this week, bidding a months-long goodbye to the country's population of 2.2 million.

The government published photographs of Masisi attending Saturday's dress rehearsal for the inauguration.

The televised event will be held at parliament buildings in the capital Gaborone, in front of an audience of 1,200 people, with proceedings beginning at 6:00 am.

Masisi, 55, is a close ally of Khama and a veteran of the ruling Democratic Party (BDP).

He is a US-educated former teacher, UNICEF employee and education minister, whose father was also a cabinet minister.

Khama earned a record for straight talking, often criticising leaders including US President Donald Trump and -- unlike many in the region -- neighbouring Zimbabwe's then-president Robert Mugabe as well as Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila.

"Internationally, he positioned himself as a moral leader," Matteo Vidiri, a BMI Research analyst, told AFP.

"(But) a slowing economy and increasing public discontent have damaged the narrative of Botswana's 'special character', of a country being able to escape the 'resource curse'."

Khama, 65, led the BDP to landslide victories in two elections, although the party won less than 50% of the vote for the first time in 2014.

Four opposition parties have said they could unite for the 2019 election to try to unseat the ruling party, which has held power since independence in 1966.

At a farewell event in his home village last week, Khama was showered with gifts including a 4x4 truck, 143 cows, hundreds of chickens, more than 415,000 pula (RM 167,715.35 ) and a fully-equipped luxury caravan. — AFP
Botswanan President Ian Khama retires from office. Mokgweetsi Masisi is inaugurated as the fifth President of Botswana.