Botswana president mourns late former VP
Xinhua, January 9, 2015 Adjust font size:
Botswana's President Ian Khama on Thursday mourned the late former vice president Mompati Sebogodi Merafhe, who died on Wednesday.
Khama said in a statement that Botswana and Merafhe's family have lost a great patriot.
"Let us all honor him (Merafhe) by continuing our efforts at building an even better republic, the kind of which builders of Botswana such as Lieutenant General Merafhe lay foundations for," said Khama, who appointed Merafhe as his deputy in 2008 after taking office as the president.
Merafhe, who was born on June 6, 1936 in Serowe, eastern Botswana, was the founding commander of the Botswana Defence Force. He served as the Minister of Presidential Affairs and Public Administration from 1989 to 1994, and then Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1994 to 2008 as the country's longest serving foreign minister.
He held position of the vice president from 2008 to 2012 before retiring from office due to ill health. Endi