Mompati Merafhe

Lt. Gen. Mompati Sebogodi Merafhe
Mompati Merafhe at Gaborone in 2007
Vice President of Botswana
In office 1 April 2008 – 31 July 2012
President	Ian Khama
Preceded by	Lt. Gen. Seretse Khama Ian Khama
Succeeded by	Ponatshego Kedikilwe
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Botswana
In office 1994 – 1 April 2008
Personal details
Born	6 June 1936 Serowe, Bechuanaland Protectorate, now Botswana
Died	7 January 2015 (aged 78) Gaborone, Botswana
Political party	BDP

Lt. Gen. Mompati Sebogodi Merafhe (6 June 1936 – 7 January 2015) was a Botswana politician who was Vice-President of Botswana from 2008 to 2012. He was a retired Lieutenant-General and was Botswana's Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1994 to 2008. He died on the morning of 7 January 2015 after years of health complications.

Biography

Merafhe was born in Serowe in 1936.^[1] After a career in the army, he retired from it and entered politics in 1989. He was first elected to the Central Committee of the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) in 1991 and has remained on the body since then.^[1] Merafhe has been the Member of Parliament for Mahalapye West since the 1994 election. He was elected for a third time in the October 2004 general election, receiving 5,429 votes against 1,664 for Abigail Mogalakwe of the Botswana National Front (BNF) and 975 for Thomas Ookeditse of the Botswana Congress Party (BCP).^[2] Besides serving as Foreign Minister, he also served a period as Minister of Presidential Affairs and Public Administration.^[1]

When Ian Khama took office as President on 1 April 2008, he appointed Merafhe as Vice-President. Merafhe was approved as Vice-President by Parliament on the same day, receiving 48 out of 56 votes, with no votes against, two spoiled votes, and six abstentions; he was immediately sworn in.^[1] The same day, Khama explained to the BDP caucus that he did not intend for Merafhe to ultimately succeed him as President; he envisioned eventually replacing Merafhe with another Vice-President who would in turn succeed Khama in 2018.^[3] Merafhe was not given a ministerial portfolio as Vice-President, although it was suggested that he might be tasked with project implementation across ministries.^[4]

Merafhe was married and had six children.^[1]

Following the second round of the Zimbabwean presidential election in June 2008, Merafhe said that the election was flawed and that Zimbabwe should be barred from participation in regional talks.^[5] On 22 July 2009, he was appointed to the BDP Central Committee by President Khama; he was one of five individuals appointed to that body by Khama.^[6]

Merafhe retired on 31 July 2012, and Ponatshego Kedikilwe was sworn in to succeed him as Vice-President on 1 August.^[7] He died on 7 January 2015 at the age of 78.^[8]

References

1. "Merafhe is new vice president", BOPA, 2 April 2008.
2. "Merafhe thanks Mahalapye electorate", BOPA, 10 November 2004.
3. Gideon Nkala, "VP Merafhe will not be President", Mmegi Online, 2 April 2008.
4. "Khama fires five ministers", Mmegi Online, 2 April 2008.
5. "Botswana denounces Mugabe victory". BBC. 2008-07-01. Retrieved 2008-07-01.
6. Ryder Gabathuse, "Khama rebuffs Kwelagobe and Motswaledi?", Mmegi Online, 23 July 2009.
7. "Kedikilwe sworn in as Vice President", Mmegi, volume 29, number 113, 2 August 2012.
8. "General Merafhe passes on", Botswana Daily News Online, 7 January 2015.

External links

• http://www.un.org/webcast/ga/61/pdfs/botswana-e.pdf