BRP condemns Molapise’s appointment
CHIMBIDZANI CHIMIDZA | Monday October 13, 2025 06:00
There is currently a heavy stench of corruption and bad governance in the corridors of power. How can a modern democratic State like Botswana justify the employment of the ruling party's UDC chairperson, the UDC executive secretary, and UDC elder and former Speaker of the National Assembly as 'pseudo' consultants, paid millions at taxpayers’ expense?
It is unacceptable to have 'friends' added to the government payroll as legal advisors when the Attorney General is there to advise the President. Likewise, the Chief of Staff position is a duplicate of the PSP's role and is patently illegal. Positions like that of the Auditor General and the Accountant General were created in line with the Constitution and approved by Parliament, and there are Acts of Parliament, such as the Public Finance Management Act, the Public Audit Act, which not only created these posts, but also define what the position holders' functions would be.
This arrangement of ensuring that public positions are created pursuant to the Act of Parliament is a necessary and deliberate way of providing 'checks and balances' mechanisms to ensure Parliamentary oversight on the Executive.
We cannot have a situation where the Head of the Executive can act in an autocratic manner and start appointing persons willy-nilly to meet his personal needs when we have proper public officers at his disposal to advise on national matters.
That the corrupt BDP started the rot is no excuse to perpetuate a patent irregularity. Similar irregular appointment(s) in the past might have remained unchallenged, but the current President, being a highly trained Advocate, should do better than his lesser erudite predecessors. Two wrongs can never make a right. The President should stick to the straight and narrow path of the law. The bar is much higher for him than it was for his predecessors.
In any event, why should public funds be used to pay for the President's POLITICAL advisors? His political advisors should and must be paid out of his political party's coffers, not state resources. How many party members and friends are given public money masquerading as consultants? These 'pseudo' consultants: what was their procurement procedure, duration of contract, accreditation, and competition? What are the terms and conditions of the contracts? Was due process followed? Are there signed contracts in place, or are we being taken for idiots? We have seen specially elected councillors increased to appease hungry cadres, and Madibela tlhopho henchmen have allegedly joined one of the country's security agencies. How low are you willing to go, Mr President?
BRP unequivocally condemns a creeping kakistocratic regime and the systematic looting of taxpayers' money to line the pockets of UDC activists and friends of the President. Is the country broke?? As the BRP, we call upon every Motswana to be vigilant and raise their voice against such things lest we become another failed State in Africa.
Chimbidzani Chimidza Executive Secretary