Autlwetse: A life of service, political storm
Friday, June 06, 2025 | 130 Views |
Autlwetse’s story is complicated PIC KENNEDY RAMOKONE
Also, who could forget his role as Minister for Local Government and Rural Development who stood against his Kgosikgolo Ian Khama and his tribesmen in favour of the then Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) regime. Autlwetse, who was a former councillor, stepped onto the national stage when he was elected as Member of Parliament for Serowe North East. That was after he defeated the then more prominent Member of Parliament (MP), Ramadeluka Seretse.
His biggest political job came in February 2022. After he lost elections in 2019, the president Mokgweetsi Masisi appointed him Minister of Local Government and Rural Development. The role placed Autlwetse at the centre of one of Botswana’s toughest tasks: improving livelihoods outside big towns and cities.
Whilst celebrating milestones in inclusivity, with notably P5 billion awarded to vulnerable groups, the report sounds a 'siren' on a dangerous and growing trend: the ballooning use of micro-procurement. That this method, designed for small-scale, efficient purchases, now accounts for a staggering 25% (P8 billion) of total procurement value is not a sign of agility, but a 'red flag'. The PPRA’s warning is unequivocal and must be...