While there is no law barring foreign enterprises from participating in government bids, a new consortium of seven Batswana companies called Legacy Pursuit Proprietary Limited has revealed that it will stop at nothing to make sure that they get their share in an industry dominated by multinationals. The company is currently embroiled in corruption controversies following allegations that one of their shareholders Joseph Peloetletse, the husband to Permanent Secretary to the President (PSP), Emma Peloetletse, is using his wife’s influence to get a lucrative tender for the construction of 28 police stations across Botswana. At two-months-old in May this year, Legacy Pursuit was one of the nine companies approved through selective tendering for the construction of 28 police stations across the country for the Botswana Police Service (BPS). Now a whistleblower has penned a complaint letter to President Mokgweetsi Masisi to initiate an independent and comprehensive investigation into the procurement decisions related to the construction of 28 police stations. Legacy Pursuit Proprietary Limited says they seek to protect local contractors who have faced challenges competing against foreign companies for big projects. The Batswana consortium says they have concerns over foreign companies winning contracts meant for Batswana businesses, particularly in infrastructure.
The company directors feel foreign corporations bidding on taxpayer-funded projects have driven the push for local collaboration and joint ventures. One of the shareholders at Legacy Pursuit Lekwalo Mosienyane told the media this week that the biggest competitor with locals is multinationals. “When you compete with these big companies and you are tendering, you need to have a certain turnover. Few Batswana can take part in billion pula tenders like that, therefore, grouping ourselves as Batswana means we can compete with multinationals. The seven of us can provide all the competencies because we have built towns and we are no child’s play”, he highlighted. He further claimed that the controversy behind their newly established consortium is that they are a threat in the market. Mosienyane said for the first time, multinationals have got their match and it is Batswana.
