Battlelines drawn ahead of Letshego AGM
Friday, June 17, 2022 | 1110 Views |

Moment of truth: Major shareholders in Letshego go head to head on June 24 PIC: PHATSIMO KAPENG
The country’s single largest investment fund, the Botswana Public Officers Pension Fund (BPOPF), holds 30.9% equity in Letshego and wants three new nominees on the microlender’s board. Meanwhile, the country’s largest and most diversified financial services group, BIHL Ltd, holds 28.1% shareholding and as a long time investor and industry affiliate, reportedly enjoys influence over Letshego’s strategic direction and is keen to maintain the status quo.
Six seats are up for grabs at the Annual General Meeting on June 23, set to be conducted virtually. Four current directors, including the chairman, Enos Banda, are due to retire in line with the group’s constitution while one has resigned. Another director was appointed on a ‘casual basis” in December to fill a vacancy, meaning that spot on the board is also the subject of jostling.
It is also hurting that whilst we all know that the Botswana Police Service (BPS) is charged functionally with the duties to investigate all forms of crime, some locals have resorted to taking the law into their own hands. It is very wrong to do that. There is also a possibility that one may wrongfully take the life of a person in the process, unless it is a justifiable case of self-defence. Recently, in the city of Francistown, some locals found...