… that NARDI’s research is increasingly focused on producing crops that can withstand extreme weather conditions while also improving nutritional value for consumers. “We have seeds that have grown and we will be having the first product soon,” he told the Public Accounts Committee …
Last week, we traced the two-decade trail of Auditor General reports tabled before Parliament, discussed in the Public Accounts Committee, and filed away into what this column called the Republics slow-moving archive of things we choose not to see. …
… In May of last year, Professor Oatlhokwa Nkomazana, the former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, told the Public Accounts Committee she could not understand the rationale behind building the Edison Setlhomo Memorial Hospital, given that residents of Moshupa had bette …
Sunday Standard Inside Parliament’s housekeeping crisis The latest Public Accounts Committee (PAC) findings have placed Parliament under an uncomfortable spotlight as they raise hard questions about institutional independence. …
… day Standard Boko’s rule of law promise faces DIS reckoning Documents seen by Sunday Standard show that the new Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) government’s promise to restore accountability is facing one of its toughest early tests after the latest Public Accounts Committee …
Two Augusta Westland 109K2 helicopters purchased for $1.36 million by Botswana's Ministry of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism for anti-poaching efforts have never been fully delivered; one was sent to South Africa for refurbishment and has since vanished into cannibalized parts, while the government continues paying a South African firm and neither aircraft has reached Botswana as intended.
Two Augusta Westland 109K2 helicopters purchased for $1.36 million by Botswana's Ministry of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism for anti-poaching efforts have never been fully delivered; one was sent to South Africa for refurbishment and has since vanished into cannibalized parts, while the government continues paying a South African firm and neither aircraft has reached Botswana as intended.
Botswana's P423 million Public Key Infrastructure system, meant to secure digital identities and government services, has stalled after control was transferred from the Ministry of Communications and Infrastructure to the Directorate of Intelligence and Security over national security concerns. The system remains incomplete and non-operational with no clear accountability or timeline for resolution, as revealed during a Public Accounts Committee hearing.
A government official has insisted that the Tautona Lodge purchase was driven by strategic national security considerations, despite government property valuers advising against the deal and valuing the property below the purchase price. The matter was examined by the Public Accounts Committee on Monday, which questioned the purchase price, the delayed inclusion of the property in government books, and the handling of revenue generated by the lodge.
Appearing before the Public Accounts Committee, Magosi explained that promotions of various officers—some directly from C1 grade to E2, others to D4—were intended to address long-standing career stagnation affecting officers from different backgrounds.
A parliamentary hearing saw Lobatse MP Kamal Jacobs demand accountability from health officials over persistent medicine stock-outs in public facilities, blaming administrative failures at the Central Medical Stores and questioning whether its acting director has the capacity to resolve procurement and distribution challenges. The Ministry of Health defended the appointment and stated efforts are underway to stabilize medicine supply chains, as the country's public healthcare system faces renewed scrutiny over shortages affecting patients with chronic illnesses and emergency care needs.
Botswana's medicine crisis came under scrutiny at a Public Accounts Committee hearing, with MPs and health officials trading blame over shortages and expired drugs.
Before Parliament's Public Accounts Committee, the Health Ministry pushed back against claims that medicine shortages in public health facilities are causing deaths. MPs Kamal Jacobs and Motlhaleemang Moalosi reported ongoing deaths in their constituencies linked to lack of medications and accused ministry officials of complacency and incompetence.
The Public Accounts Committee questioned Permanent Secretary Thuso Ramodimoosi over the appointment of a D3 salary scale officer to act as Chief of Protocol, a position originally graded at E1 and since upgraded to F2.
The Independent Electoral Commission is implementing technology-driven reforms including a new Elections Management System to modernize voter registration, manage data more efficiently, and eliminate administrative errors ahead of the 2029 General Elections.
Police Commissioner Dinah Marathe told the Public Accounts Committee that the police service has intensified security preparations nationwide amid concerns that worsening tensions in South Africa could drive foreign nationals across Botswana's borders.
BOPEU has rejected testimony before the Public Accounts Committee alleging that government offices deliberately withheld paper and toner supplies, stating that courts and public offices remain hampered by shortages of paper, toner, and ink.
Government will challenge in court the quantum of over R80 million in legal fees being claimed by Motsepe-Radebe, though it has already complied with a court-ordered apology. The Attorney General's Chambers will seek judicial determination of the appropriate legal costs to be paid.
Police Commissioner Dinah Marathe told the Public Accounts Committee that although 28 new police stations will soon open, the service lacks sufficient personnel to staff them and will have to redeploy officers from existing stations despite current staffing shortages.
The BDF's retired Judge Advocate General told the Public Accounts Committee that cowardice can attract the death penalty for soldiers under the military justice system during times of war.
The Botswana Defence Force has committed to relocating personnel from asbestos structures at Paje and Pandamatenga Base Camps by next year, with full dismantling and disposal targeted for completion within three years. The project is estimated to cost around P41 million and will require engagement of a foreign company, though it was not budgeted for the current financial year due to fiscal challenges.
The Attorney General told Parliament that his chambers have yet to receive the forensic audit report from Alvarez & Marsal Middle East Limited, which reportedly found over P33 billion embezzled over a decade. He explained that audit findings do not automatically become court cases and must first go through investigative agencies before the Director of Public Prosecutions can assess them for prosecution or asset recovery.
The Directorate of Public Prosecutions director has stated there is no evidence in the P100 billion 'Butterfly' case and called for the matter to be concluded, noting that no physical docket was found in the DPP office despite former president Seretse Khama Ian Khama's perjury complaint.
Appearing before the Public Accounts Committee, the IEC revealed it is rolling out technology-driven reforms to modernise voter registration, manage electoral data more efficiently, and eliminate administrative errors. The IEC head stated as personal opinion that voters in Botswana do not want electronic voting machines, citing previous attempts to introduce the technology.
Parliament raised concerns about counterfeit medicines and expired drugs during a meeting where the Office of the Ombudsman appeared before a Parliamentary committee to account for its operations. The remarks reflected ongoing concerns about weaknesses in financial controls across government institutions.
At a University of Botswana memorial service for former president Festus Mogae, speakers including David Magang and Dr. Nasha praised his 1998–2008 tenure for integrity, discipline, and sound public finances, contrasting his governance with perceived declines in standards since his departure.
The National Agricultural Research and Development Institute is advancing climate-smart agriculture with new seed varieties expected to reach the market soon, designed to withstand extreme weather while improving nutritional value. The institute has trained 1,500 farmers in agricultural innovations and expanded agro-processing through NAPRO, though production capacity remains constrained by manual systems.
An opinion column examines two decades of Auditor General reports and parallel Ombudsman findings revealing systematic wastage, missed deadlines, and maladministration across ministries, but notes both institutions lack enforcement power to compel compliance or prosecution.
The P457 million, 70-bed Edison Setlhomo Masizi Memorial Hospital is approaching completion after four years of delay beyond its original May 2022 handover date, with construction now reported at 99 percent and equipment arriving, though the project has been marked by poor workmanship including structural defects.
The Public Accounts Committee's findings have highlighted concerns about institutional independence, staff morale, governance and public accountability at Parliament. The Committee warned that Parliament risks losing public confidence if internal weaknesses are not urgently addressed.