Appearing before the Public Accounts committee (PAC) on Wednesday before he was suspended a day later, the director-general of the DCEC, Tymon Katlholo was responding to a question by PAC member and Francistown South legislator Wynter Mmolotsi. The latter had asked which government ministries and departments recorded the highest number of corruption cases. The MP said he was interested in knowing the ministries that are more prone to corruption than others.
In response Katlholo said looking at the number of reports, the Ministry of Local Government leads the pack. Katlholo did not give further reasons as to why the ministry led by Kgotla Autlwetse has the most reported cases of corruption. The Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development oversees 16 local authorities and semi-autonomous local authorities categorised into City, Town and District Councils inclusive of tribal administrations. These institutions are decentralised to facilitate the ministry’s development programmes and services at local level. They foster local democracy and governance while also promoting social welfare and economic empowerment of disadvantaged groups. Katlholo indicated that the Ministry of Transport is high up there with Local Government Ministry because of the notorious drivers’ license saga.
