Late Ketumile Masire, the 92-year-old former President of Botswana who died on June 22, will be buried on Thursday, June 29, at his Kanye village home. President Ian Khama, his deputy Mokgweetsi Masisi and several top government officials paid their respect to Masire on Tuesday at the Botswana parliament. Masire died in the evening last Thursday at the Bokamoso Private Hospital in Gaborone after undergoing a surgery.
The former Botswana leader is considered the main architect of what has been one of Africa’s most successful economic transitions.He was Botswana’s first vice-president after independence in 1966 before replacing President Seretse Khama in 1980.
He served as president for 18 years until he voluntarily stepped down in 1998. Former Mozambique President Armando Guebuza, former OAU Secretary-General Salim Ahmed Salim and former Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa are already in Gaborone for the funeral while former South African President Thabo Mbeki, Zimbabwean leader Robert Mugabe were also expected to attend the funeral.
