Botswana is regressing on many fronts – Gaolathe
Spira Tlhankane | Wednesday February 12, 2025 09:52
Speaking in his maiden budget speech yesterday, he said Botswana is regressing on many fronts, including health and education outcomes. “Corruption has become endemic with all its corrosive and cancerous manifestations, an impediment to the achievement of the lofty aspirations of our people,” he told Parliament. Gaolathe was quick to indicate that in recent years, there has been a surge in the misuse of public office for personal gains. “This is evident in our deteriorating scores on the Corruption Perceptions Index. The data shows that our ratings declined from a score of 6.5 in 2012 (30 out of 180 countries) to 6.1 in 2019 (34 out of 180 countries),” he revealed. “The most recent figures show a further drop and a significant decline in rankings in the space of one year, from a score of 6.0 in 2022 (35 out of 180 countries) to 5.9 in 2023 (39 out of 180 countries).”
Gaolathe, who is also the Member of Parliament for Gaborone Bonnington South, emphasised that if they fail to combine forces against this culture of corruption, they are certain to fail as a nation in the delivery of essential services that improve the quality of lives for Batswana. “Our conviction is that a corruption-free culture will save us, not a billion, but billions of pulas every year. This is why an array of efforts are already underway to review our current procurement model, enhance transparency, support free press, as well as revise and approve the Draft National Anti-Corruption Policy. “With these initiatives, we hope to protect whistle-blowers, strengthen institutions, and enhance integrity and accountability,” he added.
Gaolathe announced that by streamlining the Public Finance Management (PFM) reforms programme, the government aims to achieve greater precision, optimise economic outcomes, and minimise opportunities for corruption and mismanagement. “As part of revitalising the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) towards pursuing its legislative mandate, we have already facilitated the commencement of their work, along with other oversight agencies, towards the conduct of comprehensive audits of the projects under the Development Manager model, the Central Medical Store (CMS), as well as other infrastructure projects at key State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs),” he further indicated. Gaolathe said this new approach is a response to the procurement practice, which by all accounts has been plagued by opaqueness, unfair practices, financial leakages, and signs of systemic corruption. He, however, assured Batswana that wasteful spending, corrupt practices, revenue leakages, and any form of maladministration under the new administration would find no home. “Yet, despite this bleak picture, I have a hope in me that is rising like a phoenix. Mr Speaker, we in the new Botswana have the hope that collectively we will turn the tide,” he said.