P100 million Bot50 joke

Kgotlafela. PIC: KAGISO ONKATSWITSE
Kgotlafela. PIC: KAGISO ONKATSWITSE

Enhancers of public budgeting transparency have accused coordinators of Botswana’s golden jubilee independence celebrations of secretiveness and non-openness. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) raised the concern when Bot50 coordinator, Charity Kghotlafela stated that despite not having a clear and final plan of activities leading to the 50th independence anniversary, there was a likelihood the P100 million budget may run short.

The extra-financing has not been specified yet. According to organisers, budget supplementation will be considered only in need to raise public morale. With just a little over two months left to the major celebration, the coordinating committee was to meet yesterday to draw a budgetary breakdown of all activities that prelude Botswana Day as well as headlining events. 

Kgotlafela made the startling revelation about Bot50, when the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Culture (MYSC), which is overseeing the celebrations, made an appearance before the PAC this week. To this end, the coordinators say the bulk of the money, P14 million, has so far gone into production of choreography, with a theatrical fusion that chronicles the birth of sovereign Botswana from 1966 to date.

Editor's Comment
Get back what was stolen, and lock the door

That a single private law firm pocketed P6.5 million for just four cases, out of a total P11.1 million paid for 25 matters, reeks of a system that was not merely disorganised but open to abuse.Bayford has taken a welcome first step by telling the Public Accounts Committee the truth. Now he must act decisively to ensure it never happens again and that any money lost to wrongdoing is recovered.The figures are staggering. Whilst ordinary Batswana...

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