Botswana counts its losses as Westcor folds

Approximately P688, 000 invested by the government through the Botswana Power Corporation (BPC) could be declared unrecoverable after the drivers of Western Power Corridor reportedly declared the ambitious project terminated this week. But BPC officials say nothing is official yet.

In 2003, BPC invested US$100 000 in Western Power Corridor (Westcor), an ambitious P55 billion project known as INGA III to tap hydroelectric power from the Congo and Cuanza Rivers in the DRC and Angola respectively.

Botswana, along with the DRC, Angola, Namibia and South Africa, were to benefit from an anticipated 3 500 MW produced by the project.

Editor's Comment
Get back what was stolen, and lock the door

That a single private law firm pocketed P6.5 million for just four cases, out of a total P11.1 million paid for 25 matters, reeks of a system that was not merely disorganised but open to abuse.Bayford has taken a welcome first step by telling the Public Accounts Committee the truth. Now he must act decisively to ensure it never happens again and that any money lost to wrongdoing is recovered.The figures are staggering. Whilst ordinary Batswana...

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