Botswana looks to civil society to fight corruption
Innocent Selatlhwa | Monday May 15, 2023 06:00
This was acknowledged by both Vice President Slumber Tsogwane and Acting Director General of the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC) Tshepo Pilane who said they are prepared and committed to fight with emphasis on engaging the civil society.
“For many years now Botswana has been rated one of the least corrupt countries in Africa by Transparency International (TI) and other agencies and in many a times occupying the first position in Africa.
These favourable rankings over the years are a result of our continued introspection and our quest for continuous improvement. As a country anchored on democratic principles, we regularly engage stakeholders as we advance our regulatory, administrative and legislative mechanisms for corruption control,” Tsogwane said.
He said corruption matters have since demonstrated technological sophistry and advancement by the perpetrators hence need for improvement. “It is in this regard that institutions such as the DCEC should not only improve technologically, but increase their footprint in the community through partnering with other stakeholders such as the Community Based Organisations (CBOs),” he said. Tsogwane said the Pitso is a testament that Botswana as a country is working on establishing a ‘civil society driven’ anti-corruption culture, hence the gathering and many more activities of its nature in future. “Despite our robust anti-corruption strategy, we are alive of the need to continuously stay ‘on top of our game’ and that we accordingly need to ‘complete the puzzle’ by introducing another ‘piece’- in the form of the civil society,” he said.
The Boteti West legislator said it is disheartening to note that despite this continent endowment with vast resources there has not been identical translation into economic growth and wealth creation for citizens. “We have vast deposits of mineral wealth and raw materials, most of which are exported to the developed world, but the proceeds of these exports have not brought any meaningful transformation to the continent,” he said. He thanked Botswana’s CBO for their civic and advocacy work on areas such as Human Rights, Community Social Responsibility and many of their socio economic engagements, and particularly holding them as the government, answerable.
For his part, Pilane said the DCEC has demonstrated and continues to show its commitment to work with civil society.
He said so far the Directorate has signed MoU with civil society umbrella body (BOCONGO) on February 11, 2020 and have strengthened collaboration on various projects throughout the years. “As an agency charged with the responsibility to coordinate the formulation and execution of Botswana’s anti-corruption strategy, we are proud, not only to witness, but to be participant to initiatives of this great significance that also amplify political will and commitment to the fight against corruption. We are aware and acknowledge our inherent responsibility to fight corruption; we are similarly alive to the intrinsic competitive advantage you possess and your inscribed position as the civil society, hence our continued effort to engage you as a strategic partner. Let me also hasten to posit that the Directorate and the civil society cannot do it on our own; there is need for support from other stakeholders, government, private sector and the wider community,” he said.
Pilane said civil society plays a crucial role in combating corruption; it is the voice of the people and it provides a platform for citizen’s synergies. Civil society organizations expose corruption and advocate for reforms that promote transparency and accountability. Pilane reminded that Botswana and Zimbabwe are signatories to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC).
The Convention, which is legally binding, is the most comprehensive global framework on the subject of corruption. “As an institution, even before the 2nd Cycle Review under UNCAC of 2018/19, we realised the value of the involvement of the civil society in the fight against corruption. From 2021 to 2026, we are implementing our 6th Strategy Plan of the Directorate. Previously the 4th and 5th Strategy Plans were specific on anti- corruption initiatives with the civil society. To date, our 6th Strategy Plan also recognises the importance of collaborations and initiatives with the Civil society,” he said. The Pitso was commemorated under the theme ‘the fight against corruption 29 years and beyond: What has been the role of civil society? For her part, Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) T.T Mlobele said the commission in the fight against corruption uses a multi-dimensional and multi-stakeholder approach. “Some of the stakeholders that ZACC engages include religious organizations, professional associations, universities, private sector umbrella bodies and development partners, among others.
That being the case, there is no single agency that can win the fight against corruption unless by collaborating or partnering with other stakeholders. Civil society in Zimbabwe has a fundamental anti-corruption role.
Their activities range from preventive and awareness-raising initiatives to engagement in policy development and oversight of the application of anti-corruption laws and strategies. More specifically, they are working hard to empower citizens and put pressure on the public sector, in particular, to uphold their service delivery obligations. In addition, while ZACC’s Asset Recovery Forfeiture Unit leads the process of asset recoveries, civil society organizations in Zimbabwe have also become an integral component in this respect. Some of them have knowledge of where tainted assets are stashed. They also give the Commission reports on corruption matters to be investigated,” she said.