State ministry distances itself from Tautona Lodge procurement

Goitsemodimo Kaelo | Wednesday May 14, 2025 06:00

Tautona Lodge has been a subject of controversy since its 2021 acquisition by the previous Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) administration at a value of P58.2 million.

Appearing before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Monday, Morekisi who is the ministry’s Accounting Officer, was at difficulty to explain what actually led to the decision to acquire the hotel, saying the Directorate of Intelligence and Security (DIS) was better placed to give the answers.

The PAC is sitting to examine government books of accounts for the financial year 2021–2022.

Morekisi’s answer to the committee when she was asked by the PAC chairperson and Member of Parliament for Bobirwa, Taolo Lucas if the ministry had motivated for the acquisition of the property was a simply “It didn’t come to my desk” answer, clearly explaining that the ministry was not aware of the procurement.

She added: “It is true that procurement by the ministry would come to my desk but this one didn’t appear on my desk. The procurement happened before the current Procurement Act came into force but under the previous one whereby the DIS, Police and BDF had their own procurement body. So we didn’t initiate it. The DIS will be in a position to answer these questions. It didn’t appear before the office of the ministry and the PS, It was procured by the DIS and it is still under the DIS.'

Furthermore, Morekisi explained that she believes that since this was initiated by the DIS, they did it with the Office of the President or the Presidency. She stated although they are expected to respond to questions about the property, they are facilitated by the DIS in this matter.

“Whilst the PS is the ministry’s Accounting Officer, there are things that the Office of the President does with other independent departments. There are departments that do their own procurement and this is one of those solely done through the DIS,” she explained.

The issue of Tautona Lodge has been the subject of numerous parliamentary questions during the previous Parliamentary sessions, with Members of Parliament (MPs) raising suspicions that public funds might have been misappropriated.

The Minister for State President, Moeti Mohwasa, has previously told Parliament that the Umbrella for Democratic Change-led (UDC) government will uncover the DIS’ alleged role in the acquisition of Tautona Lodge and whether public funds were misappropriated.

Responding to a question in Parliament on the purchase of the property, Mohwasa had assured MPs that if there is available evidence associating the acquisition of Tautona Lodge with the DIS, his ministry naturally seeks to understand the rationale behind the reasons.

He said that will be particularly whether such reasons necessarily bear-out the fulfilment of the Intelligence and Security Service mandate as established by the ISS Act (2007).