. . . ED in Botswana for Masisi inauguration

PRESIDENT Mnangagwa will today witness the historic inauguration of Botswana’s fifth leader when President-elect Mokgweetsi Masisi takes the oath of office this morning at the University of Botswana Indoor Sports Arena here in Gaborone.

The swearing-in ceremony will be the first to be held in public and away from the Botswana Parliament Building where the previous four presidents assumed office.

The President will join his counterparts among them President Filipe Nyusi of Mozambique and President Edgar Lungu of Zambia and representatives of other

Heads of State and Government SADC who are also here to witness the historic ceremony.

President Mnangagwa arrived last night at the Sir Seretse Khama International Airport where he was welcomed by the Batswana secretary for Land Management, Water and Sanitation Services Ms Bonolo Khutmotaka and Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to Botswana Batirai Henry Mukonoweshuro.

President Masisi’s ruling Botswana Democratic Party romped to victory BDP during the October 23 elections, claiming 38 of the 57 elected seats in the National Assembly.

The main opposition, the Umbrella for Democratic Change ( UDC) secured 12 seats while the Botswana Patriotic Front won three.

Over 760 000 people out of the 924 000 registered voters went to cast their ballots during the hotly contested election to choose members of the National Assembly and local authority representatives.