Boko's P100 billion 'Butterfly' headache :: Mmegi Online

On November 1, 2024, after years in opposition trenches, President Duma Boko finally assumed office amid widespread hope for change. But eight months into his new administration, Boko’s promise is being tested by the legacy of one of Botswana’s most damaging scandals: the P100 billion so-called ‘Butterfly’ case.

For years, Batswana watched, some in silence, others complicit, as a once respectable democracy was tarnished by a regime that is still criticised by many even after its electoral loss. State institutions were weaponised to brand political rivals with fabricated charges of money laundering and terrorism financing. The charges, targeting figures such as former president Ian Khama, the late former spy chief Isaac Kgosi, South African businesswoman Bridgette Motsepe, and DIS agent, Welheminah "Butterfly" Maswabi, were ultimately dismissed by the High Court as baseless fiction.

The fallout was swift. In October 2018, Botswana was greylisted by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), labelled a jurisdiction with “strategic deficiencies” in fighting financial crime. The issue lingered, with European Union regulators even deeming Botswana a high-risk country in 2019.

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