Boikobo Paya

Mr Boikobo Paya is the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources, the post he holds effective 01 October 2010. Prior to the current position, Mr Paya was the Deputy Permanent Secretary in the same ministry, responsible for water and energy sectors’, a post he held since October 2008.

Mr. Paya has also served, from April 2007 to October 2008, as Project Manager; Mmamabula Coordinating Unit, still under the Ministry of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources. During that time he was involved in issues of strategic importance in the ministry particularly in the water and energy sectors (Funding for Morupule B Phase 1, independent power producers (IPP) emergency water supply project, water sector institutional reform and preparation of NDP 10 for water, energy and mineral sectors).

Mr Paya was once the director of the department of water affairs from April to 2005 to April 2007, a department under the ministry of Minerals, Energy and Water resources which had a total of 2166 officer under its employ and operates water supply schemes for 17 major villages throughout Botswana. Furthermore, the department looked after two major wetlands; Okavango Delta and Kwando-Linyanti Delta.

Academically Mr Paya has a master of Philosophy in geology from the University of Portsmouth in United Kingdom and a Batchelor of Science in Geology from the University of Botswana. He has done extensive research in the area of Geology, producing a number of papers and reports in the process.

Mr Paya has served in various boards and associations such as the Botswana Geoscience Association, Performance Improvement Coordinator Forum, Water Utilities Corporation Board of Directors, Water Apportionment Board and Botswana Power Corporation Board of Directors. He also served as commissioner in the Limpopo Commission, Orange – Senqu Commission Commission, Zambezi Commision and the Okavango Commission.