DCEC target councils, traders in licence corruption
Innocent Selatlhwa | Monday November 13, 2017 16:02
Most of the cases are said to be in Gaborone and Kweneng and Kgatleng District Councils. In one of the shocking incidents, a prohibited immigrant of Chinese origin was granted a trading licence. According to DCEC public relations officer, Phakamile Kraai the directorate recorded over 34 cases since 2012.
Although Kraai would not go into detail of the cases they are currently handling, he gave a glimpse of the shocking incidents in which they found traders and some council official who issue licences illegally.
In a shocking revelation, a Chinese businesswoman was issued a resident permit yet she was pronounced a prohibited immigrant early 2012. She was once arrested for using an illegal trading licence in her business in Block 3 near Oriental Plaza.
Kraai said they have information alleging that Gaborone City Council (GCC) never inspects a certain company building as and when the trading licence expires. He said the new one would be displayed while the suspect has not applied for its renewal.
If a trading licence is to be renewed, the premises should be inspected first. “The company managers have a tendency of bribing Gaborone City Council (GCC) employees so that they could be awarded trading licences without following the procedure. The building in which the business operates is not conducive since no inspection was conducted on the premises, they use water from the toilets to drink as there is no other area to have clean water and the building does not have an emergency exit as required by the law. Despite all the above anomalies the alleged company has been awarded a trading licence,” Kraai said.
In yet another incident, Kraai said some employees of Kgatleng District Council and Kweneng District Council (Mogoditshane) corruptly issue trading licences to the people who do not meet the requirements. The business people usually part with P1,000 – P4,000 in order to obtain the trading licence.
The DCEC also found that a company was awarded a tender by Tonota Sub-District Council although a valid trading licence was not submitted since they did not have offices from where they were operating.
Kraai said they are also investigating a company involved in an irregular act in the process of trading licence applications in the Kgatleng District Council. “Sources report that the directors of the company are using one building in Pilane Village as offices for the processing of trading licences. Every month the company submits multiples of applications on behalf of companies, as if the companies are tenants in the building in Pilane,” Kraai said. Assistant Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Biggie Butale said the ministry was not aware of the issues.
“We have mandated the councils to issue and monitor the licences, but we have not received any reports of illegal trading at the ministry. We will look into the matter,” he said.