Boko, Salakae should act swiftly on the DM report
The Monitor Editor | Wednesday August 13, 2025 08:54
The report, commissioned by Transport and Infrastructure Minister Noah Salakae and led by Attorney Kabo Motswagole, lays bare a shocking tale of mismanagement, legal breaches, and the colossal waste of public funds. President Duma Boko and Minister Salakae must now act decisively on its recommendations.
The scale of failure is staggering. What began as a P13 billion initiative to improve project delivery has ballooned to a crippling P56 billion burden. This isn't just poor planning, it is a fiscal haemorrhage diverting vital resources from healthcare, education, and other critical needs. The Task Team confirms that the DM model itself caused the very problems including cost overruns, delays, and shoddy work it was supposed to fix.
The rot runs deep. Key contracts were handed out without proper competitive tendering, flouting the Public Procurement Act. The scope of work was suspiciously changed, bypassing legal safeguards. The Catalyst Project Team (CPT), set up to oversee this mess, operated without clear authority, sidelining crucial institutions like the Ministry of Finance and the National Planning Commission. It lacked the skill to manage projects, approving massive spending without proper checks.
Furthermore, the model actively harmed local businesses. Seven out of nine DMs are foreign-owned, with rules effectively shutting out capable Batswana companies. Worse still, many foreign professionals worked illegally, dodging taxes and regulations, which is a direct insult to citizen empowerment and fair competition. Site visits exposed idle projects despite huge payouts, proving the system’s utter inefficiency.
The Task Team hasn't just diagnosed the disease; it prescribed the cure. Their recommendations are clear, practical, and urgent:
Implement independent financial audits immediately. Require ministerial approval for any cost increases. Introduce real-time spending monitoring; Future DM work must use open, competitive bidding with clear rules everyone can see. No more backroom deals; Set up a strong quality control system. Enforce professional standards. Conduct independent quality checks; Create a digital system to track project progress and spending live. The flawed oversight body CPT must be shut down formally and swiftly; End existing DM contracts through structured talks, prioritising finishing active work on-site to protect public money; Let the Ministry of Finance, National Planning Commission, and technical ministries do their jobs properly; Crucially, the matter of DM fees and potential wrongdoing must be referred to investigative authorities. Those responsible must be held accountable.
The evidence is undeniable. The cost to our nation is catastrophic. You commissioned this review, and now you must heed its findings. Implement every recommendation without delay. Initiate the investigations. Bring those responsible for this P56 billion scandal to book. And finally, reclaim control of Botswana’s development.