GABORONE. — The Parliament of Botswana yesterday endorsed ruling party Member of Parliament Slumber Tsogwane as the country’s vice president. Tsogwane was nominated by the new president Mokgweetsi Masisi who succeeded Ian Khama on April 1. Out of the 54 MPs who were eligible for voting in the endorsement, 35 approved the nomination while only one opposed. Most of the opposition MPs present either abstained or did not vote at all. Following his swearing in as president, Masisi relinquished the post of party chairmanship and nominated Tsogwane to replace him, a move that was endorsed by the party central committee. This had led many to belief that he was earmarked for the vacant vice-presidency post. Tsogwane is the longest serving MP of the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), having been in parliament since 1999. He had also held several ministerial portfolios in his long political career, and he is currently the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development. Meanwhile local political pundits have opined that Tsogwane would only serve as vice president for a short period until the 2019 general elections, where, if the BDP wins the president would appoint someone to hold the post for the long haul. – Xinhua
Slumber Tsogwane is endorsed and elected the 9th Vice President of Botswana by Parliament in a 35-1 vote.