PROFILE OF HIS HONOUR MOKGWEETSI ERIC KEABETSWE MASISI, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF BOTSWANA Earlier this afternoon Parliament endorsed the MP for Moshupa/Manyana constituency and Minister of Education and Skills Development, Mokgweetsi Masisi, as Botswana’s 8th Vice President. It was subsequently announced that, for the time being, he will also continue with his portfolio responsibility as the Minister of Education and Skills Development. His Honour Mokgweetsi Masisi brings to the Office of Vice President, as well as his current Ministerial portfolio, a wide range of experience. His Honour initially trained as a teacher majoring in English and History. In 1984 he taught at Mmanaana Secondary School in Moshupa, while also leading community development initiatives there. In 1987, Masisi transferred to Curriculum Development and Evaluation and worked as Social Studies Curriculum Specialist, where he supervised a group of subjects (Social Studies, Music, Religious and Moral Education) In 1989 he studied at graduate level at Florida State University, USA, specialising in Social Studies Education and Instructional Systems Design. In 1990 re-joined Curriculum Development and oversaw Social Studies and other subjects and played major role in development of new assessment system of Criterion Referenced Testing (CRT). There he became the National Coordinator for Social Studies Education and Botswana’s representative as the African Social and Environmental Studies Programme (ASESP) and Board member for Environmental Education Association of Southern Africa (EEASA) for more than 5 years. He was also a member of several NGO Boards Vice President Masisi joined UNICEF in 1995 as Education Project Officer, during which time he: •Developed and implemented education for children of remote area dwellers focussing on access, retention and improved performance. •Developed and implemented education for pregnant students. •Initiated policy and program reforms for excluded in Botswana and Eastern and Southern Africa region. In 2003 from resigned to join politics, standing unsuccessfully for BDP primaries in Moshupa Constituency. Notwithstanding this setback he remained active in politics and was: •Elected Deputy Secretary of Moshupa Branch Committee. •Joined International Research NGO and focussed on HIV Prevention research. •Began studying for PhD in epidemiology. In 2008 Vice President Masisi won the BDP Primary Elections and thus became the party’s Parliamentary candidate for Moshupa, which he subsequently secured in the October 2009 general election. Also in October 2009, Masisi was appointed as the Assistant Minister for Presidential Affairs and Public Administration. He was subsequently promoted to be the Minister for Presidential Affairs and Public administration in January 2011, where he: •Spearheaded the Poverty Eradication Programme •Oversaw the expansion of broadcasting capacity by Btv and Radio Botswana •Conceptualised and started the Moshupa Constituency Development Show •Started and rolled out to the whole Constituency, free distribution of vegetable seedlings to all and other community initiatives to improve peoples’ lives. •Initiated partnerships for continuing education, economic groups etc. In April 2014 Vice President Masisi was transferred to the Ministry of Education and Skills Development on an acting basis until the general elections on the 24th October 2014, when he was re-elected Member of Parliament for Moshupa-Manyana. He was, thereafter, appointed as the substantive Minister of Education and Skills Development, October 28th 2014.
Posted on: Wed, 12 Nov 2014 16:45:45 +0000
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