Minister of Presidential Affairs and Public Administration Phandu Skelemani of Botswana

Skelemani was born in Mapoka Village.

Skelemani was moved to the position of Minister for the Administration of Justice, Attorney General's Chambers, Botswana Defence Force, Police, the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime, and Security in January 2007.

Skelemani says people deserve to know", BOPA, October 23, 2003.

Speaking in dramatic language, Skelemani said he was driving towards Shell Filling Station along Blue Jacket Street at around 4am when he chanced upon two youths, completely nude and busy making love.

Phandu Tombola Chaka Skelemani is a Botswana politician of the ruling Botswana Democratic Party, currently serving as Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Skelemani said that Sadc has been unable to put enough pressure on Mugabe.

Even President Mbeki does not have those powers to dictate to the parties to sign," Skelemani said over the phone.

Skelemani had on his jacket a UNV sticker.

He was responding to a Zimbabwean government controlled newspaper, the Herald, which on Monday reported that Skelemani praised Robert Mugabe's behaviour in the ongoing negotiations facilitated by South Africa President, Thabo Mbeki.

Who am I to declare that the negotiations have gone well and dictate to people to sign? Even President Mbeki does not have those powers to dictate to the parties to sign," Skelemani said over the phone.

Reacting, Skelemani said that while it is true that he received papers from Mbeki, he never asked for any adjournment of the summit so he can go and read the document.

Skelemani said he is not under pressure to prove that what The Herald reported about him was a lie.

New Foreign Affairs Minister, Phandu Skelemani has just arrived in his constituency office at the Nswazwi Mall.

Because he is now working with diplomats, Skelemani is positive that they will advise him on how to speak when handling sensitive issues.

Joina feels that Skelemani was suitable in the Mogae administration because he (Mogae) was an intellectual and understood Skelemani better than Khama.

So far, Skelemani has not followed the soft diplomatic approach adopted by his precedessor at Foreign Affairs, Mompati Merafhe.

Skelemani says although he enjoyed his days in the civil service as an attorney, law was never his first choice.

SKELEMANI said that judges could only be removed if they could no longer carry out their duties, either because of ill-health or “misbehaviour.

SKELEMANI said his delegation appreciated the discussion and believed that the issues raised by the Committee concerned matters over which national dialogue and debate would and should continue.

Skelemani said he and Botswana President Ian Khama would go to Harare on Monday for the official signing of the accord.

Explaining Botswanas position on Zimbabwe last week at a press briefing in Gaborone, Skelemani said Mugabe should listen to the noise and accept that he is not the President of Zimbabwe.

Skelemani said Botswana is not asking for any trouble from Zimbabwe, there is no question of war.

Asked if Botswana has the support of its colleague in the African region and from the regional bloc of SADC, Skelemani said they agree on the core or t principle.

Skelemani was optimistic that he was talking to people of high moral standing hence the voice of reason would prevail.

On the issue sanctions, Skelemani said the people of Zimbabwe should not be made to suffer, but targeted sanctions were necessary.

Skelemani said the Botswana/Zimbabwe borders would remain open because the people who cross the borders are not Mugabe but Zimbabweans.

Skelemani said Mugabe told the African Union Summit in Egypt that he was saddened by the position Botswana had taken on the matter.

I accept that i am probably too harsh on Rre Merafhe because in all fairness, Skelemani is the most sophisticated of the two considering their educational backgrounds.

Skelemani said that in the case of a run-off in Zimbabwe’s presidential poll, the SADC would need to send a larger monitoring group to observe the elections.

Skelemani was briefing Parliament on the outcome of last week's Southern African (SADC) Extra-Ordinary Summit held in Johannesburg, South Africa, to try to find solutions to the Zimbabwean political crisis.

Although he also believes that co-management of a ministry is impracticable, Skelemani remained hopeful that the warring parties will give it a try.

On other regional matters, Skelemani said that Angola sending troops into the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) was problematic because it was likely to cause confusion.

Presenting the budget request to Parliament, Minister in the Office of the President, Mr Phandu Skelemani said the offices departmental services unit was allocated P4m.

On the independence of the office, Mr Skelemani said the office had entered into an institutional cooperation with Swedish National Audit Office in an endeavor to be independent and proactive.

On issue of declaring Election Day a holiday, Minister Skelemani said government continued to persuade employers to allow workers an opportunity to go an cast their votes.

Briefing the media on Friday, Minister of Foreign Affairs Phandu Skelemani said the Botswana Government will do everything to help the people of Zimbabwe out of the morass that their country is going through.

Notwithstanding their position not to recognize Mugabe, Skelemani said Botswana’s ambassador to Harare, Pelokgale Seloma, will stay put “so that in case anybody needed our assistance we will be the first at the scene.

Minister Skelemani said it was unlikely that Mugabe will continue to defy the world.

Botswana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Phandu Skelemani said that there is currently no legal government in Zimbabwe.

Skelemani said there are only leaders of different political parties who are seeking a solution to the political crisis in Zimbabwe.

Cabinet minister Phandu Skelemani has called on the European Union (EU) to support southern African countries on the elephant conservation dispute at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES.

Meanwhile, Skelemani said the EU has played a pivotal role in Botswana's development process.

JOHANNESBURG: Zimbabwe's neighbours should close their borders in an attempt to bring down President Robert Mugabe, Botswanan Foreign Minister Phandu Skelemani said yesterday, in the strongest call.

Botswana's foreign minister Phandu Skelemani has called for Zimbabwe's neighbours to squeeze President Robert Mugabe (pictured) out of power Botswana has urged Zimbabwe's neighbours to squeeze.

Skelemani said Mugabe would not last if regional states closed their borders and completely isolated him.

Skelemani expressed little confidence in mediation, saying SADC should “own up” and admit it had failed, and that it was time for strong action.

Skelemani said Botswana would be willing to shelter Tsvangirai—a position that is likely to anger Mugabe.

GABORONE, Thursday - Botswana’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Phandu Skelemani has denied reports that he apologised to Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe for its tough stance on rigged elections at the recent SADC Summit in Pretoria, South Africa.

Mr Skelemani was reacting to a Zimbabwean government newspaper, the Herald, which on Monday reported that he praised Mr Mugabe’s behaviour at the on-going negotiations with the opposition MDC facilitated by South Africa President Thabo Mbeki.

But on Wednesday, Mr Skelemani denied the he said Tsvangirai had misled anybody.