Inside how BCL debacle cost Paul Smith his job

Just over a year into a five-year contract, Paul Smith’s contract as CEO of Minerals Development Company of Botswana (MDCB) was terminated on April 11, 2017. Smith believes, as a professional with 27 years experience in mining and investment banking, his contract was terminated because he was too candid for the comfort of key stakeholders, as he was not prepared to play along with the rhetoric and political patronage usually associated with management of state-owned companies. In an exclusive interview with BusinessWeek’s BRIAN BENZA, Smith opened up about how his recommendation and actions on handling the BCL and EIH issues led to his termination.