From micro-businessman to tycoon
Flamboyant tycoon, Bartholomew Ophaketse Gaobakwe, who is commonly known as “Uncle Parks”, was driven by poverty to become a businessman. The man who is counted among Botswana’s richest traces his involvement in business to his humble family background. He started out as a seller of firewood as a boy and now he owns the Legae shopping complex and a double storey office block at the BBS mall.

Idea of quota for disadvantaged is flawed
The idea that people should get preferential treatment to senior positions in business, politics, civil service, academics and sport because of their gender, disability or youth is deeply flawed. For some years, the idea was bandied around, but surely reached a crescendo in the last elections.

The myth of PMS
Many managers talk tough about performance. Recently I overheard one executive explaining that his role is to “kick-butt” in his organisation. Recently, the public sector introduced a Performance Management System (PMS), a Performance Based Reward System as well as Performance Contracts in a bid to improve performance and eliminate underperformance.