By The Telegraph Reporter

MAUN: - A Maun businessman could be in trouble with the law for selling liquor whilst sale of such remains prohibited.

Crocodile Camp Safari & Spa owner Reaboka Mbulawa has promised his company will inves-tigate a ‘receipt’ which on Mon-day rocked social media suggest-ing that his business - Crocodile Camp Safari & Spa - has been on the wrong side of the law.

The receipt, which Mbulawa describes as fake, details how his

establishment sold alcohol on the 26th of August 2020, a trade which is currently prohibited as per the Government Notice No 312 of 2020 published on the 5th of Au-gust 2020.

While he denies any knowl-edge about his resort selling al-cohol on the said date, Mbulawa, who was the ruling party – Bo-tswana Democratic Party (BDP)

Parliamentary candidate for Maun West during the 2019 general elec-tions confirmed the names of the employee which appeared in the receipt.

He however indicated that such an employee works under the House Keeping department not the Bar/Restaurant wing of the resort. Mbulawa also said that he is in the capital Gaborone and

in possession of the key to store-room that keeps liquor at Croco-dile Camp Safari & Spa and such there was no how the staff could sell alcohol as they have no access.

Meanwhile a few hours after the Crocodile Camp Safari & Spa ‘Receipt’ was leaked to the social media the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) issued a Press Statement cautioning the

public and businesses against ille-gal sale of alcohol.

“It has also come to our atten-tion that some outlets/traders are not complying with the State of

Wednesday September 2, 2020 | Volume 12 / Issue 19 | Price: P6.00

INSIGHT: WATERING WITH GRAY WATER: ONE WAY TO CONSERVE WATER, REDUCE BILLS - P6

Tuelo Serufho has been ap-pointed the Botswana Na-tional Sports Commission (BNSC) interim chief execu-tive officer (CEO).

NEWS

BUSINESS

SPORTS

Civil society berates politicians over GBV

Civil society Organisa-tions have sharply criti-cized Parliament for re-fusing to adopt a motion by Member of Parliament (MP) for Mahalapye East Yandani Boko calling for an inquiry into escalating cases of Gender Based Violence (GBV).

Page 2

Avani Hotel’s quarter pay for workers stalematesDespite resistance from staff, Avani Hotels & Re-sorts is steadfast in enforc-ing drastic pay cuts for its employees citing loss of business.

Page 11

Serufho takes over as interim BNSC CEO

Page 15

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BCL Mine

CONTINUES ON PAGE 2

Liqour sale trouble brews in Maun• Owner and BDP activist denies selling liquor during prohibition

By The Telegraph Reporter

In four months’ time, the de-funct BCL mines might get new owners, ending a 4-year nasty chapter after the mines were shuttered overnight and placed on liquidation that was marred by high drama.

Lefoko Moagi, minister of Mineral Resources, Green Tech-

nology and Energy Security, on Monday told parliament that the government has identified three possible investors who are inter-ested in bringing the mines back to life. The process of choosing new owners is expected to be completed by December.

Faced with the dwindling commodity prices, and rising op-erating costs, the cash-strapped

Botswana government made an abrupt decision to close BCL Group, made of BCL limited and Tati Nickel Mining Company, in a provisional liquidation by order of the High Court of Botswana on 9 October 2016. The govern-ment owns 100 percent of shares in BCL, and BCL’s wholly owned subsidiary, BCL Investments Pty Ltd, holds an 85 percent stake in

Tati. The remainder of the shares in Tati are directly held by the Bo-tswana government.

The liquidation process was later marred a fallout between former minerals minister Eric Molale and Nigel Dixon-Warren, the court appointed liquidator. Relations were strained in early 2018 when both parties clashed on the duration of the liquidation

process, with the government pil-ing pressure on Dixon-Warren to come up with a definite date on the winding up of BCL assets. However, the liquidator said it was a complicated process that could take up to seven years to conclude.

This did not go down well

BCL Mine could get new owners in December

By Obusitse Kologwe

FRANCISTOWN: Four sol-diers based at Area S and Don-ga camps in Francistown have taken the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) to court demand-ing de-linking policy salary ben-efi ts.

The applicants, Olebeng Sokwane and three others who all hold qualifi cations of Di-ploma in Accounting and Busi-ness Studies (DABS) claim that the BDF is unfairly refusing to pay them according to their qualifi cations as per the military de-linking policy. The case is before Francistown High Court Judge Tshegofatso Mogomotsi. The BDF is cited as the fi rst respondent while the Attorney General is the second respon-dent.

According to their court papers in 2012, the BDF in-troduced a de-linking policy in which holders of DABS quali-fi cation were to be upgraded from the B Salary Scale to C and D salary scales. They claim that upon the introduction of the de-linking policy, their ca-reer progression paths were charted from the respective times they obtained the DABS qualifi cation.

In January 2013 the BDF discontinued the de-linking policy reckoned from the ef-fective date of the policy, and in line with respective dates of acquisition of their DABS qualifi cations. They maintain that in doing so, the BDF did not notify them nor did it invite

representation from them prior to such discontinuance. The ap-plicants claim that without giv-ing any reasons, the BDF placed all of them on C3 salary scale in October 2018 which was against the de-linking policy. They claim that they are entitled to payment of arrear salary and benefi ts under the de-linking policy on the basis of parity and uniformity.

The applicants are also un-happy that they have colleagues in the BDF holding the same DABS qualifi cation who were upgraded and are paid salaries in terms of the delinking poli-cy. The applicants also state in their papers that since the dis-continuance of this policy there have been several court cases by others like them to compel the BDF to restore it. They claim that the matters that went before court were adjudged against the BDF in favour of restoration of the policy. The applicants feel that the conduct of the BDF is unfair as it re-cently paid other offi cers who had similar circumstances. They are accusing the BDF of being selective in treating the issue.

The applicants further as-sert that in terms of conditions of service governing their em-ployment, they are entitled to progress from one scale to the next every two years subject to satisfactory performance and feel that they have all performed as expected since January 2013.

Their prayer is for the court to order the BDF to pay them salary scales under the delinking

policy of 2012. They are also pleading with the court to direct the respondent (BDF) to calcu-late and cause to be paid to the applicants’ arrear salaries and benefi ts at the interest rate of 10 percent per annum reckoned from the date each arrear sal-ary became due to the date of full payment. They are also de-manding BDF to pay for costs of the application on the scale of attorney and client.

In the answering affi davit, Colonel Jenamiso Mountain who is the Deputy Director of Human Resources at BDF denied that the de-linking pro-cess was withdrawn without due consultation with the appli-cants. He averred that all mem-bers of the BDF were invited to consultative meetings held in all the military camps around the country where they were in-formed about the qualifi cations required for de-linking and that consideration was being made to discontinue the delinking pay for those members who did not hold requisite qualifi cations.

“They were informed that this approach came as advice from Accountant General after it was realized that the wage bill of the BDF had gone beyond the budget. The applicants were not on any type of leave at the time, nor were they on any trip; they were therefore accounted for as having attended the meet-ing. The applicants are put to strict proof of their alleged ab-sence from the meeting, “reads part of the answering affi davit.

He further asserted in the

affi davit that the de-linking was discontinued in 2012 on mem-bers who did not qualify for such including the applicants. Mountain said their exclusion was based on the Defense Council resolution on delinking as read with Presidential Direc-tive CAB 15(B) of 2011 on de-linking which only stated that Accounting Technicians Hold-ing the qualifi cation of AAT were eligible for delinking.

Among other important issues, he said after the imple-mentation of the de-linking policy, the application progres-sion was two folds; military and professional progression.

He explained that the pro-fessional progression was at the discretion of the BDF Com-mander which decision he exer-cises fairly regarding all matters including satisfactory perfor-mance at work, availability of vacancies as well as the disci-plinary record of applicants. He said there is no automatic pro-gression in the public service in respect of the applicants’ cadre and as such it was not clear why they demand automatic pro-gression as in their notice of motion. Mountain rubbished off discrimination by the BDF as alleged by the applicants. He concluded in the answering af-fi davit that the applicants are not entitled to the reliefs sought and their application lacks merit and stands to be dismissed The applicants are represented by Wada Nfi la and T. H Monthe represents the respondents. The case is yet to go for status hearing.

By Khonani Ontebetse

Civil society Organisa-tions have sharply criticized Parliament for refusing to adopt a motion by Member

of Parliament (MP) for Mahala-pye East Yandani Boko calling for an inquiry into escalating cases of Gender Based Vio-lence (GBV).

In a hard- hitting statement, the civil society organizations expressed “disappointment at the shocking light-handedness with which our political leaders respond to the current national crisis of Gender Based Vio-lence (GBV) which is ravaging our country.”

The organisations are Bo-tswana Centre for Public Integ-rity (BCPI), Botswana Gender Based Violence Prevention and Support Centre (BGBVC), Bo-tswana Labour Migrants Asso-ciation (BoLAMA), Botswana Substance Abuse Network (BOSASNet), CHILDLINE Botswana, DITSHWANELO – The Botswana Centre for Human Rights, Emang Basadi, Friends of Diversity, Inclusive Directions - Botswana, Les-bians, Gays and Bisexuals of Botswana (LEGABIBO), Men and Boys for Gender Equal-ity (MBGE), Molao Matters, Molayakgosi, Putting Women First Trust, Save Widows and Orphans Organisation Bo-tswana, Skillshare International Botswana, Southern African Al-cohol Policy Alliance Botswana (SAAPA-Botswana), Stepping Stones International (SSI), WoMen Against Rape (WAR) and Youth Alliance for Leader-ship and Development in Africa (YALDA - Botswana).

According to these ogranisa-tions, the cases continue to soar all across the country, leading to women and children being stripped off their dignity and, in some instances, their lives.

They said this is a clear in-dication that Botswana is in a state of emergency and the safety of women, children and the elderly are at stake.

They said the government of Botswana is the primary cus-todian of the rights of Batswa-

na. Its failure to protect them against GBV perpetuates what has become a gross violation of basic fundamental human rights.

“We are calling on the gov-ernment of Botswana to take heed of and take responsibility for the safety of Batswana. We are aware that GBV has often been trivialised as being ‘mere bickering’ and misunderstand-ing within intimate relation-ships,” the organisations said.

They noted that GBV is a national crisis and not the pre-serve of any particular political party.

Botswana, like other coun-tries in the SADC region, in the continent and globally, has seen an increase in gender-based vio-lence over the years.

They said although GBV is not confi ned to any gender, most survivors are women and children.

The organisations further expressed disappointment that Parliament fails to take cogni-sance of the urgent need to deal with and the current GBV crisis as a matter of emergency.

“Since the commencement of extreme social distancing on 2 April 2020 until 30 June 2020, approximately 461 clients were provided with Psychoso-cial Support (PSS) through on-line, telephone and face-to-face counselling by CSO organisa-tions. To date, 121 of the 461 GBV survivors have been ad-mitted to places of shelter and refuge,” the Civil Society said.

These statistics, the organ-isations said, are a clear indi-cation that indeed “we have a problem in our country and that this issue cuts across all demographics,” adding: “We therefore call on the political leadership to act with account-ability towards the people of

Botswana.”They added that “We

support the call for a Commission of Inquiry into Gender Based Vio-lence, Rape and Other Sexual Of-fences (proposed by Member of Parliament Yandani Boko), as we believe it will help the coun-try to identify the causes, exist-ing gaps and practical strategies to enable the current govern-ment prevention and response strategy to GBV in Botswana.”

The decision to establish an Inter-Ministerial Commit-tee falls far short of the spirit of the original motion, the Civil Society said.

“Instead of an independent body headed by a judge (retired or in offi ce), the decision will not enable a national response to the GBV crisis, but a govern-ment response.

Calling for GBV to be de-clared a National Crisis and Emergency and for it to be treated with the necessary atten-tion which it deserves, the Civil Society added that this is criti-cally important as the country has enough evidence to indicate that GBV has indeed reached epidemic levels.

“We urgently call for the implementation of the fully funded National Strategy Towards Ending Gender Based Violence in Botswana by 2020 with immedi-ate effect, through government working in partnership with civil society and the private sec-tor. We call on our leadership to demonstrate political will by introducing stringent survivor-oriented laws, ensuring imple-mentation, and safeguarding the well-being of our communities, especially of women and chil-dren,” the organisations said.

Government was also called on to affi rm its commitment to establishing a non-partisan and independent National Council on GBV, rape and other sex-ual crimes which will provide strategic leadership in imple-menting the National Strategy towards Ending GBV and fa-cilitate resourcing, coordination and accountability in the re-sponse to GBV, rape and other sexual crimes.

Wednesday September 2, 2020 | NEWS |2

Liquor sale trouble brews at Crocodile Safari

from page 1

MP for Mahalapye East Yandani Boko

By Cedric Swanka

Government has been publicly disgrac-ing people living with HIV/AIDS at public health institutions using an out-dated system intended to make access to Anti-Retroviral (ARV) medication easier- Parliament has learnt.

Assistant Minister of Health and Wellness Setlhomo Lelatisitswe admit-ted that indeed there is segregation in hospitals and clinics towards patients collecting their ARV medication.

In Botswana HIV/AIDS patients collect or separately queue from other patients when collecting their medi-cation or seeking assistance and this has raised concerns from Member of Parliament (MP) for Kanye North Thapelo Letsholo over the dignity of patients as well as possible rise in cases of stigmatisation.

Lelatitswe said: “The issue raised by my fellow MP has some truth to it. HIV/AIDS patients who take ARV medication in some of our hospitals and clinics are still segregated and they take their medication from a stand-alone collection counter. When the HIV/AIDS scourge fi rst broke out we received assistance from outside sources and it was necessary that it be in a standalone collection counter. The segregation was intended to allow for the patients to have easy access to their medication and not expose them.”

“Today we are to mix all our pa-tients so that they collect medication from the same pharmacy points in clin-ics and hospitals. As a way of reducing the stigma related to this virus, we have made efforts to ensure our patients are integrated when seeking assistance at our institutions and nobody`s rights are infringed upon. However, it is a challenge in most of our institutions because of a lack of space and this re-sults in patients being segregated,” the minister shared.

MP Letsholo wanted to know if the ministry is aware that some health facilities segregate people living with HIV/AIDS by offering them counsel-ling services and dispensing of medi-cation, in separate facilities and spaces. If so to state why this is the case and when will it be people living with HIV/AIDS.

“It is our intention as the ministry to make sure people living with HIV/AIDS privacy is not infringed upon by having them seek alongside the other patients collectively and we have en-sure such clinics and hospitals like that are non-existent,” junior minister Lela-tisitswe said.

Since the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the country a lot has transpired from the public education campaigns to peo-ple coming forth publicly, to declare their status and the junior highlighted that this showed a lot of people were no longer relying on myths to tackle HIV/AIDS issues.

When quizzed on what caused the delay in abolishing this practice of seg-regating patients, junior minister Lela-tisitswe said: “HIV/AIDS pandemic found us unprepared as a country, so we had to depend on help from coun-tries like United States of America and the segregation was intended to allow easy and quick access for the HIV/AIDS patients. Nowadays as a country we are able to take care of these pa-tients and we know that their medica-tion is a rare kind.”

By Obusitse Kologwe

FRANCISTOWN: Some of the em-ployees at the Accountant General’s offi ce here are reportedly upset by a drastic decision by their employer forc-ing them to share housing apartments despite threats caused by Covid 19 pandemic.

The employees are pointing an ac-cusing fi nger at their boss, the Assistant Accountant General(North) Molemisi Kedumetse for ignoring their welfare. They are also accusing him for making unilateral decisions without consulting them.

Government is currently renovat-ing 24 out of its 48 housing apartments which accommodate Accountant Gen-eral employees in Francistown. The two bed roomed housing apartments which are located in Satellite South ward have been in a dilapidated state since 2018.

A source from the Accountant General told The Telegraph on condition of anonymity last week that some em-ployees were caught by surprise when the Assistant Accountant Kedumetse announced that they should vacate their apartments to give way for reno-vations. He allegedly instructed them to share accommodation with those who were not affected or look for it elsewhere.

The employees were caught by surprise and were only told at the last minute that the available option would be to share the apartments or look for accommodation elsewhere.

“What really worries the employees is that he warned that those who were to get accommodation elsewhere, were not guaranteed to get their accommo-dation back once the renovations are complete. Employees are unhappy with the Assistant Accountant General’s conduct and feel that he does not care about their welfare. Sharing accommo-dation during this Covid 19 pandemic is a serious risk as the employees have families,” the source said.

“The employees were then forced to share as they did not want to lose their apartments. To make matters worse the announcement was made at short notice. Most employees had bud-get constraints, a situation which dis-abled them to look for accommodation elsewhere. It is even cheaper to stay in these government apartments than renting a house elsewhere. More often they fear to air their grievances for fear of victimization,” added the source.

According to the source, some employees who share these apart-ments have more than six chil-dren a situation which poses a se-rious Covid 19 health hazard. Reached for comment on Friday Kedu-metse simply rubbished the allegations as a ploy to tarnish his name.

“All these allegations are not true. I know that there is one of the em-ployees who is hell bent to destroy my name due to his personal reasons. He is the one who said all these untruths to the media,” he said.

He confi rmed that 24 out of 48 housing apartments are currently un-der renovation and an agreement was made between him and the employees to share the apartments or fi nd alterna-tive accommodation. He said the reno-vations are done to improve the living conditions of the employees. Contrary to the reports that he never consults the employees, he said an agreement was reached amicably. Asked why the housing apartments where not reno-vated since 2018, Kedumetse said the delay was caused by tendering pro-cesses.

“As we speak, we have since en-gaged a contractor who is beginning works to renovate the apartments. If employees have grievances they have the right to route them to our Staff Welfare Committee which is indepen-dent and reports directly to the Perma-nent Secretary. Government operates through structures. To my knowledge, I have never received any grievance or complaints from all these employees. All these reports are meant to blemish my image,” he said in conclusion.

Accountant General staff share houses

amid Covid-19 pandemic?

Botswana segregates HIV

patients seeking medication

Civil society berates politicians over GBV

Soldiers take BDF to court over benefi ts

Emergency requirements and continue to sell alcohol. In this regard, business-es are informed that failure to comply will attract penalties thereof ”, reads part of the MITI press release.

MITI could not shed light on whether or not it will carry investiga-tions on the alleged sale of liquor by Crocodile Camp Safari & Spa. The ministry has however in the past be-lieved to have suspended trade licens-ees of businesses which are believed to have acted against the State of Emer-gency regulations precisely relating to liquor sale.

| BUSINESS | 3

By Bonnie Modiakgotla

As September commences , p u b l i c transport fees will also go up,

a development that has upset commuters amid low fuel costs. Th e increase is also expected to nudge the country’s infl ation rate, which has sunk to record lows.

Th e Ministry of Transport and Communication in the third week of August announced that public transport fares have been increased. Th e ministry did not explain the reasons behind the latest hike. Th e announcement angered public transport users, arguing that not only have prices been slashed for fuel, but the Covid-19 pandemic has already made life harder.

In May and June, Botswana Energy Regulation Authority (BERA) made massive reductions to retail pump prices for petrol, diesel and paraffi n, a move that slowed the infl ation rate which had grown by a larger pace to 2.5 percent in April, up from the 2.2 percent rate that stretched since December. Th e sudden upward movement in prices was caused by the 22 percent increase in the electricity tariff that was implemented beginning of April.

Th e increase in public transport fees is expected to result in a larger increase in

consumer prices since the transport group index is largest component of consumer price index (CPI), which tracks movements of commonly used goods and services, thus providing the infl ation rate. Since beginning of the year, the

rate has been below the Bank of Botswana’s 3 – 6 percent objective range.

Th e monthly infl ation report released by Statistics Botswana shows that the annual infl ation rate in July was 0.9 percent, same rate as June.

Th is is a record low rate since 1975. Th e low infl ationary environment in the country, extends as far as 2011, marked by consecutive annual decreases. Th e average infl ation rate was 2.9 percent in 2019, down from 3.2 percent in 2018 and 3.3

percent in 2017. Furthermore, infl ation averaged 1.9 percent in the second quarter of 2020, lower than the average of 2.6 percent in the second quarter of 2019, accounted for by the decrease in domestic fuel prices in April and June 2020.

New commuters’ fees could cause an uptick in infl ation

By Victor Baatweng

Th e government investment arm – the Botswana Development Corporation (BDC) is expected to mobilise a total of P3 billion as part of government’s strategy to boost domestic investment during the last half of the National Development Plan 11 (NDP 11), the Trade, Investment and Industry Minister – Peggy Serame has said.

Briefi ng Parliament on Monday during the NDP 11 Midterm review, Serame said that BDC will be expected to invest in projects that will ensure economic transformation, diversifi cation and increase citizen economic participation.

Parliament was also told that in the next twelve (12) months, BDC will invest approximately P800 million on project that will drive economic recovery and sustain jobs.

Th e government says it is intending to establish large-scale equipment manufacturing industry to support key sectors such as rail, energy and water.

“Other projects that are planned to be undertaken include increasing Automotive Components manufacturing; increase food production such as for Potatoes and Citrus, to meet local demand; increase milk production to meet full local demand with vertical integration on milk products (such as yogurts and cheese).”, said Serame Monday aft ernoon.

Recently details emerged on the move by the BDC to turn its investment in Pasdec Botswana into equity, opting to grab the large share of the company.

In a merger notice that is before the Competition and Consumer Authority, BDC intends to acquire 60 percent shareholding Pasdec Automotive Technologies Botswana, the company that the state agency lured from South Africa in 2015 to come set up its automotive wiring harnesses manufacturing business in Lobatse.

Pasdec Botswana is wholly controlled by Pasdec Resources SA Ltd, a South African based company, which is in turn controlled by Pahang Off -Shore, a Malaysian registered company. BDC has in the past fi ve years injected P130 million in Pasdec Botswana and will now be turning the convertible preference shares into equity.

BDC TO mobilise P3 billion for Domestic

Investment

Wednesday September 2, 2020

Th e Commuters centre - Gaborone Bus Station

By The Telegraph Reporter

Th e government plans to undertake a study on the prevalence of unemployment among graduates, which has become a topical issue given the country’s rising unemployment and lack of comprehensive labour data.

Ministry of Finance and Economic development’s permanent secretary Dr Wilfred Mandlebe has revealed that one of its agencies, Botswana Statistics, plans on carrying out an in-depth research of unemployment among graduates. Mandlebe admitted that existing data is not suffi cient, thus masking the extent of unemployment among graduates.

Botswana’s labour data is at best confusing, and at most misleading. Th e data is usually collected through surveys, which work through sampling, thus leaving many outside its scope. With fears that the Covid-19 pandemic will cause job losses, Mandlebe told the Parliamentary Accounts Committee (PAC) that it

will take a while for Statistics Botswana to get an idea of how many jobs have been lost since the agency has been constrained as well to carry out door to door surveys.

He said the ministry together with other stakeholders are working on

rolling out a comprehensive labour database that will inform government policies on how to deal with youth unemployment, especially among graduates. Th ough the economy slowed down in the last decade, the number of graduates has almost doubled in the same period.

Statistics Botswana’s

multi-topic survey labour force report for this year’s fi rst quarter (Q1 2020) estimates the country’s labour force to be 978,396, where 76.8 percent are employed, leaving 226,598 without jobs, which is 23.2 percent unemployment rate, higher than the 22.2 percent

unemployment rate in 2019. When you add the estimated 59,212 discouraged job seekers, there are 285,813 people without jobs, resulting in the extended unemployment rate of 27.5 percent.

Th e lack of jobs in the sluggish economy has hit hard the young people most. Nearly 146,899 people under the age of 35 are jobless – representing more than half of the total unemployed people in the country. From the 226,598 jobless people, about 22.2 percent or more than 50,000 are graduates from tertiary institutions, while secondary school leavers account for 60.2 percent of unemployment.

In January, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) placed Botswana in the top ten of countries in the world with the worst youth unemployment rate. Th e organisation which defi nes labour as any work carried out by any economic active person aged between 15 and 24 years says the country’s youth unemployment rate of 37.1 percent puts it in the tenth position of countries hard hit by unemployment.

Youth unemployment to be studied

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Th e Unemployment movement protest

By Thobo Motlhoka

Specially Elected Member of Parlia-ment (SEMP) Unity Dow recently relin-quished a coveted

cabinet position in what seems to be a selfl ess move to ease growing tensions between Pres-ident Mokgweetsi Masisi and the backbench.

Even as speculation about an impending cabinet intensi-fi ed, not many people would have put their money on Dow’s possible exit from Cabinet.

Her exit was of course not without controversy following what had all the hallmarks of a war of semantics between the Government Communications at Offi ce of the President (OP) and the outgoing Minister.

The initial communique from Offi ce of the President implying the minister had been fi red from her position was fol-lowed by another letter indicat-ing Dow had left cabinet of her own volition.

Speaking to The Telegraph a day after quitting Cabinet Dow said she had decided to step back to the backbench where she insists her contribution to parliamentary debates would be most useful, away from the shackles of a cabinet position.

She says she has no plans to quit her SEMP position, con-trary speculation.

“As a minister you speak predominantly about your port-folio. But the backbench gives you the liberty to interrogate a wide variety of issues of na-tional interest. The only limita-tion is my party position on a given subject,” Dow said.

While she would not admit it, Dow’s departure from Cabi-net paved way for President Masisi to make amends to some

disgruntled members of the backbench. There are elected MPs who allegedly feel hard done by the decision to appoint SEMPs as cabinet ministers at their expense.

Dow’s departure created a vacancy for elected Mmadinare MP Molebatsi Molebatsi, one of the backbenchers who had apparently expressed their frus-trations at being side-lined by the President.

He is one of the disgruntled members who held meetings with the President to voice their displeasure. “Yes I have met with the President but we were only discussing the usual inter-nal party issues. Nothing out of the ordinary,” Molebatsi told The Telegraph at the time.

Former MP for Mmadinare who lost BDP Primary Elec-tions to Molebatsi, now Spe-

cially Elected MP Michael Mz-winila is one Masisi’s blue eyed boys.

The close relationship be-tween the two has apparently left Molebatsi feeling com-pletely isolated. Sources close to the party say President Ma-sisi sees Mzwinila as a possible vice presidential candidate to replace Tsogwane. Mzwinila is highly expected to take over a new Mmadinare constituency after the anticipated delimita-tion exercise that follows the 2021 National Census.

The backbench have since elections grown increasingly impatient with the President who has been enjoying absolute power under State of Emer-gency following the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.

At least ten MPs including Mephato Reatile, Paulson Ma-jaga, and Ignatius Moswaane

were reportedly not averse to the idea of crossing the fl oor if the situation remained un-changed. Reatile, Majaga, and Moswaane have since been sus-pended from the party.

The three are some of those who had expressed con-cern about instability within the party.

“There are those who feel Masisi has neglected the north region in favour of the south which has resulted in some councillors contemplating a move to the opposition,” The Telegraph has been told. Mo-swaane has now resigned from the BDP and remains an inde-pendent MP.

He and fellow BDP back-benchers had not ruled out the possibility of following behind their councillors who they said were already in negotiations with the opposition.

Wednesday September 2, 2020| NEWS |4

BCL Mine could get new owners in December from page 1

Unity Dow

ORTHOSURGE BOTSWANA (PTY) LTD

SERVICE COORDINATOR

Main Purpose of the Job

Key Performance Areas

Customer CareGeneral Administration Self- development

Experience:

13th September 2020 .

Only shortlisted applicants will be responded to.

By The Telegraph Reporter

There is need to carry out needs as-sessment and data analysis to monitor the food security situation as Covid-19 continues to upend food systems, a re-searcher has said.

Speaking to The Telegraph, grain and cereal researcher Lakayana Sepapi indi-cated that there is need for government to take coordinated action to prevent Covid-19 pandemic from turning into a food and humanitarian crisis.

“The effects of Covid-19 are be-coming clearer by the day. If you go into the shops you will fi nd that the price of food has increased since the fi rst lock-down in April. This means an increas-ing number of people will not be able to afford to buy nutritious food,” says Sepapi.

She also says Botswana lacks proper food security monitoring systems which can accurately foresee the impact of the pandemic. “There is need for policy-makers to pay attention to people in vul-nerable situations, the poor people and infants to make sure that they receive nutritious and suffi cient food during and post Covid-19,” she says.

Amongst other things, she said the fact that a lot of people did not receive

food baskets shows that the situation in the rural areas might be dire.

“Nutritional support activities aim-ing at preventing acute malnutrition and improving access to nutritious food have been affected by this pandemic,” says Sepapi adding that “what the country must do now is to invest in tools that can enhance crisis response during this crisis and after the pandemic has been contained.”

She said in clear cut terms that vul-nerable rural and urban populations are of immediate concern and must be pri-oritised to ensure continuous access to essential food and nutrition needs.

“Expand near-real time food security monitoring systems to provide timely, improved and geospatially indicative data to measure the pandemic’s unfold-ing effects and understand better who is suffering from hunger and malnutrition and where they are,” says Sepapi.

A policy brief from the United Na-tions (UN) also says in order to reshape and build resilient food systems, coun-tries must strengthen social protection systems for nutrition to protect food access for the most vulnerable, mobil-ise to save lives and livelihoods focusing attention where the risk is most acute; and lastly invest in a sustainable future in order to achieve resilient food systems.

Sacrifi cial Dow takes one for the team

… to ease BDP backbench bickering

Feed the vulnerable to avert food humanitarian crisis - Researcher

with the government which was facing criticism from other quarters as to why it has been spending huge amounts of money on the liquidation process while also the major creditor. Since 2016, gov-ernment spent over P1.1 billion towards BCL, with a larger proportion of the funds paying former employees’ ben-efi ts, and the rest towards the care and maintenance of the mines.

By late 2018, relations between Mo-lale and Dixon-Warren had deteriorated following a series of disagreements. The most glaring was the decision by the liquidator to axe half of the care and maintenance staff that were re-tained during the liquidation process. This happened after Molale had told parliament that he had spoken to Dix-on-Warren and pressed upon him that

he should not retrench any staff.In December 2018, Molale told

parliament that relations between him and the liquidator have irretrievably broken down. Molale disclosed that he had kick-started the process to have BCL removed from liquidation and put under judicial management to give the government more leeway in what to do with BCL rather than deferring to the liquidator, who under the liquidation process, can only be removed by Regis-trar and Master of High Court in terms of the Companies Act.

Dixon-Warren later resigned as BCL’s liquidator in May 2019. The reg-istrar of the High Court later appointed South Africa based fi rm Sanek Trust Services as BCL’s new liquidator.

By Victor Baatweng

The Covid 19 task team insists on keep-ing the schools opened despite a rising number of Covid – 19 cases recorded amongst students across the greater Ga-borone zone.

On Monday, Legae Academy – a prestigious private school located in the capital Gaborone was the latest school to confi rm a Covid-19 positive case.

A circular from Legae Academy to the parents on Monday morning indi-cated that a Form fi ve student has tested positive and that the school was working hand in hand with the Health authorities on contract tracing.

By late afternoon hours Legae Acad-emy management informed the parents of a decision to close the school until further notice. The message, which was sent from the School’s Principal offi ce did not give much detail on the tests ran on other students and teachers.

“In consequence of a confi rmed case of Covid 19 in Legae Academy, we have decided to close the school un-til further notice….”, reads part of the Legae Academy Principal – Parents mes-sage.

Still on Monday, Ledumang Second-ary School was temporarily shut after three reported positive cases amongst its students while a junior Secondary School in Francistown has also report-edly been hit.

In the evening, the Botswana Sec-tors of Educators Trade Union said it was getting reports that more schools are confi rming positive cases amongst its students.

BOSETU Secretary General – Tobo-kani Rari said that atleast seven schools this week reported positive cases of Co-vid 19, a trend which he said is worri-some.

Rari told The Telegraph that as a Union they have made a proposal to the gov-ernment to push the academic calendar of schools to March/April 2021 to allow time to clear the Covid 19 virus.

“Our thinking is that the focus should be on trying to minimize the

spread of the virus in schools. This is important mainly so because the schools are congested and its populace is not even easy to control”, Rari said late Monday evening.

Meanwhile speaking on a regular state television – Btv update programme dubbed Covid 19 – Botswana Response, the Health Services Director – Dr Mala-ki Tshipayagae noted that so far, the cas-es registered do not suggest the need to close down schools. He observed that a good number of schools, if not all, have been on the right side of the law when it comes to following the Covid 19 Health protocols and regulations.

Dr Tshipayagae said the root cause of the problem is the communities where the students come from.

Covid-19 Schools scare

Tobokani Rari

Wednesday September 2, 2020 5

PURPOSE OF THE INVITATION TO TENDER INVITATION (ITT):

Botswana Innovation Hub (inter-changeably “BIH”) invites proposals from interested and duly registered, 100% citizen owned companies or businesses of repute, domiciled in the Republic of Botswana for the Supply and Delivery of ICT equipment for its gaming lab. Companies or businesses should be registered with the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Board in the following category: -

equipment and others)]

Prescribed Reservation or Preference Schemes shall be applicable in this tender.

INTRODUCTION

Botswana Innovation Hub (BIH) is an innovative and networked organisation that promotes technology, entrepreneurship and commercialisation. It supports start-ups and existing local companies as well as attracts international companies and institutions to develop and grow competitive technology driven and knowledge-based businesses.

COLLECTION AND SUBMISSION

The tender documents shall be emailed to bidders who have purchased the tender document during working hours from st2020. A non-refundable deposit of should be made directly into the BIH bank account below and proof of payment shall be required before sending the tender documents.

Account Name: Botswana Innovation Hub Bank Name: Absa Bank Botswana LimitedBranch Name: Government Enclave BranchBranch Code: Swift Code: BARCBWGXCurrent Account No Account Type: Corporate Current

Youth companies or businesses will acquire the tender documents at a charge of 50% of the selling price. (Presidential Directive CAB 14 (B) 2015). Proof of youth companies shall be requested.

Proposals or responses duly completed and signed shall be submitted by email to procurement@bih.co.bw . Proposals should be labelled “ Tender for supply and delivery of

PROPOSALS SHOULD BE ADDRESSED TO:

Botswana Innovation Hub (Pty) Ltd

First Steps Venture Center (FSVC)

Gaborone, Botswana

For enquiries call +267 3913328 or email procurement@bih.co.bw . For more information you can visit our website at www.bih.co.bw.

CLOSING DATE

Monday 28th Proposals received will be opened shortly after the closing time in the presence of bidders who may wish to attend or their representatives.

NOTE

Notwithstanding the foregoing, Botswana Innovation Hub is not bound to accept the lowest or any proposals or enter into any agreement with interested bidders/companies. Further, BIH reserves the right to cancel the tender without providing any reasons.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, Botswana Innovation Hub is not bound to accept any proposals or enter into any agreement with interested bidders/companies. Furthermore, BIH reserves the right to cancel the tender without providing any reasons.

Science & Technology ParkPlot 69184 Block 8 Industrial Private Bag 00265Gaborone, Botswana

Tel : +267 3913328Fax : +26739133289Email: info@bih.co.bwwww.bih.co.bw

SUPPLY AND DELIVERY OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

PUBLIC TENDER NOTICE

Ac c o r d i n g to a r e s e a r c h p a p e r :

“Innovative Corporate Social Responsibility in Botswana: Th e Debswana Mining Company Study Case” authored by Keonethebe Moroka and Jose Ramon Torres Solis, Botswana has become a favourite topic for study by anthropologists, linguists and ethnomusicologists among a large group of researches.

Th e paper, which discusses some of the latest trends in corporate social responsibility acknowledges that the advent of globalization has brought with it, new ways of doing things. When organizations operate in highly competitive industries, rapidly changing markets and complex cultural and social environments, a strong corporate culture that emphasizes ethical behaviour becomes even more important because it guides people to do the right thing even in

the face of confusion and change.  

It is ideal at this juncture to interrogate

what corporate social responsibility actually means. Field experts are agreed that corporate

social responsibility can also be considered corporate citizenship, or responsible business. It is

a business model adopted by corporations that wish to improve their company, communities and more.

It is a self-regulating system that commits the corporation to following the laws of the business,

maintaining a high ethical standard and following international norms.

Oft en, corporate social responsibility results in businesses committing themselves to certain social goods, or even attempt to improve the environment. Overall, corporate social responsibility is a company’s promise to create positive impact in the world, this does not mean they do not have a profi t motive, it merely means they care about the world while trying to make money.

At its broadest, corporate social responsibility can also be defi ned as the overall contribution of business to sustainable development. Th e World Business Council for Sustainable Development has defi ned corporate social responsibility as the commitment of business to contribute to sustainable economic development, working with employees, families, the local community and society at large to improve the quality of life, in ways that are good both for business and for development.

Th e company needs to create an accountability philosophy, which will support its competitive advantage since the ethical consumers like responsible companies who support sustainable actions, which increase4s the organization’s profi tability.

Th ere are worries that the problem of lax ethical standards in business is nothing new, but in recent years it seems to have escalated. Th e rapidly changing technological improvement calls for innovative

operational strategies for organizations to realize the competitive advantage they have when they display a degree of corporate citizenship.

C o n v e n t i o n a l l y , corporate social responsibility has been regarded as philanthropic behaviour additional to the main for-profi t activity and beyond the requirements of the law. Corporate social responsibility is a diffi cult concept to pin down. It overlaps with other concepts such as corporate citizenship, sustainable business and business ethics. It is highly contextual not only in terms of its corporate environment but also in terms of national environment.

Corporate social responsibility can be sub-divided into four main criteria: economic, legal, ethical and discretionary responsibilities. Th ese four criteria together fi t to form the whole company’s social responsibility.

Th e paper off ers both theoretical and practical insight of how organizations can innovatively implement their ethical values to benefi t companies’ fi nancial performance and improve the welfare of its society. Th e purely profi t-maximizing view is no longer considered an adequate performance criterion in today’s global companies; corporate social responsibility should be implemented to increase performance and enhance corporate image.

“To be successful in the long term, businesses have to create value, not only for their shareholders but also for the society as a whole; this is known as creating shared value. It is not an add-on but a fundamental philanthropy or simply stated, in order to create value for our shareholders and company, we need to create value for the people in the country we are

present in,” it is argued by the paper authors.

Addressing the issue of innovative corporate social responsibility, it is reckoned that there has been a change in public perceptions of the roles and responsibility of businesses, brought on by the number and size of corporations and their increased global reach. With this consideration, it also becomes the expectation of corporations to act in a socially and e n v i r o n m e n t a l l y responsible way.

It is also acknowledged that a new element of corporate social responsibility is the new shift from being socially responsible by adhering to society’s values and rules to being socially progressive, consciously shaping societal values, being at the forefront end of corporate social responsibility and having a value shaping rule.

In a bid to make its corporate social responsibility more outstandingly felt, Debswana in 2006 re-launched its Corporate Social Investment (CSI) Policy with a stronger commitment to create a legacy of prosperity, sustainability and empowerment for the communities in the country.

According to the UNECA(2005) and UNAIDS (2006) reports, Debswana’s corporate responsibility objectives include ensuring that the impact of their mining activities is not limited to maximizing revenues and that the company’s main target is their employees, environment, communities and the nation. It was also further stated that there is a community involvement in its operations and decisions through its corporate social; responsibility and social investment initiatives, supporting health and environmental; systems in operation, including AIDS management system, private schools and two major district referral hospitals.

A d d i t i o n a l contributions to Botswana’s economic and social development include donations to various societies and n o n - g o v e r n m e n t a l organizations and over P20 million a year, expenditure on education scholarships and grants.

In the study, “Corporate Social Responsibility Practices In Developing and Transitional Countries: Botswana and Malawi”, it is observed that organizations in both Botswana and Malawi signifi cantly engage with socially responsible practices. Both countries have relatively positive perception corporate social responsibility practices as improving economic performance, rated their ethical policies and practices highly and there was no predilection for philanthropy.

Wednesday September 2, 2020 | INSIGHT |6

Corporate social responsibility: A way of ploughing back to society

Africa is generally considered to be still at an early stage of maturity in corporate social responsibility (CSR), rather than the more embedded approaches now common in more developed countries. Corporate social responsibility as a part of

management is important for an industry’s survival in the long run – WRITES JOSEPH BALISE

GABCON invites reputable Cleaning Companies registered with PPADB for Code 132, to tender for the provision of Cleaning Services at its Gaborone offices as indicated below;

1. Tender documents containing details of the requirements can be obtained from GABCON offices at the following address effective Monday 31st August 2020:

GABCONPlot 14415, Maakgadigau Road

Gaborone WestP O Box 504271

Rail Park MallTel: +267 3164323

Business hours appropriate for collection of documents are from 08h00 a.m. – 16h30 p.m. (Monday to Friday)2. Tenders must be structured as per the tender documents.3. Telegraphic, telephone, facsimile and email tenders will not be considered.4. Tenders should be hand delivered to the above address as per tender requirements marked;

Tender for the provision of Cleaning Services – Ref: No 2021/06/CS/015. A non-refundable deposit of P500.00 will be required upon collection of the tender document from GABCON

Reception.6. Site Visit:

a. 7th September 2020 10h00 a.m.b. 8th September 2020 10h00 a.m.

NOTE: Proof of purchasing the tender will be required for taking part in the side visit.

CLOSING DATE: FRIDAY 11TH SEPTEMBER 2020 AT TIME: 10H00 AM.

TENDER NOTICE: CLEANING SERVICES

Gaborone Container Terminal (PTY) LTD (GABCON), an inland port and container terminal, invites suitably qualified, dynamic and results oriented professionals to join the team in pursuit of an aggressive strategic plan that will position the company as the leading logistics provider and container hub.

Debswana built a kitchen for Lefoko Primary School outside Jwaneng in 2018.

Wednesday September, 2 2020 | INSIGHT | 7

Watering with grey water: One way to conserve water, reduce bills

Water conservation and attainment of food security in Botswana are inseparable. With Water Utilities Corporation owed P800m by customers, conservation seems the way to reduce bills, WRITES ARNOLD LETSHOLO

Water Utilities C o r p o r a t i o n ( W U C ) s p o k e s p e r s o n , Beauty Mokoba

indicates that water levels in most of the ten dams supplying water in the country have had their levels reduced signifi cantly by the end of July.

With the Covid-19 protocols dictating that hands be washed frequently with clean water and soap, the country’s water utility was convinced by the government to reconnect supplies to defaulters. Furthermore, at the beginning of the fi rst lockdown areas that had for decades been without portable water were catered for - a one of the positive of the pandemic.

Th e Dikgatlhong dam was by end of July at 65.9 percent full compared to 80 percent the same period last year. Th is level can water the greater Gaborone region for 24 months without infl ow.

Gaborone dam is at 56 percent compared to last year’s 64 percent and at that level it will supply its greater Gaborone region for only 20 months without infl ow. Letsibogo’s 76.2 percent compared to last year’s 83.6 percent can supply Selibe Phikwe, BCL Mine and Mmadinare. Th une’s 50.8 compared to 52 percent last year will sustain the Bobirwa cluster without infl ow for next 39 months. Greater Francistown will be supplied by Shashe dam for the next 21 months without infl ows.

Th e North East region will have 15 months of water without infl ows at Ntimbale Dam’s level of 85.1 percent compared to 85.6 percent last year. Lotsane, with 53 percent compared to 57.6 percent last year will supply the 22 villages in Serowe North for 20 months without infl ows. At level of 56 percent compared to 69.4 percent last year will supply Greater Gaborone with water without infl ows for the next 11 months. So will be the Nnywane Dam which is 77.2 percent compared to last year’s 89.4 percent.

“Th ere is generally water shortage across Botswana due to limited rainfall. Th e shortage is notable in the south where there is less rainfall compared to the north. With 60 percent of Batswana getting water from groundwater, it is important to note that without rainfall, the well fi elds are unable to recharge at the required rate, resulting in the drying up of boreholes and subsequent water shortages,” explained Mokoba.

She further highlighted that there are areas in the country that have peculiar water shortages, and these are referred to as ‘hot spots’ to enable the corporation to closely monitor them. Such areas cover the Borolong area where water is bowsed and there currently is rationing in some areas where water is delivered in selected days to cater for all villages.

“While water has improved in Kanye, we still have challenges of old and dilapidated network, which does not allow for high pressures as that would cause leaks. In Kgalagadi WUC developed a fi lling point to enable bowser tanks to collect water closer in D’kar settlement, a joint operation with Ghanzi District Council. Th e Corporation also elevated some tanks and connected them directly into the network in areas like Hukuntsi to build pressure and the response has been positive,” she said.

Mokoba also explained that areas like Gumare have water defi cit and are augmented by bowsing. Boreholes in places like Etsha 13 have a high risk of fl ooding, making adequate pumping of

water diffi cult hence the shortage.In Boteti area Mokoba said

bowsing continues in areas like Xhumo but because of geographical spread, those far from the tank experience low water pressure to no water when the tank levels go down.Bowsing is made for Toromoja, Mokobaxane, Mmea and Makgaba settlements. Th e latter area is a newly gazetted settlement.

Th ere also is rationed water supply through bowsing in Tutume to cater for areas like Goshwe and Marapong as well as at Jacklas 1, Tsamaya and Siviya daily. Th e water tends not to reach all areas in the villages, hence the use of tanks to sustain supply. Bowsing is also done for Mokobeng, Ngwapa, Ramokgonami and Sefare areas where the demand exceeds supply. Government ministries such as transport assisted with augmenting water supply during the lockdown.

“Molepolole’s water supply has improved, but about 10 wards around Kgosing experience water supply challenges hence bowsing. Water tanks are also available in un-serviced areas,”

On how WUC promotes sustainable usage of portable water Mokoba underpinned that the utility has source operating models and is able to use its sources conjunctively to ensure water sustainability. Th ey also encourage the reduced water use, reuse and recycling of some water in homes and institutions. Her institution welcomes partnerships by diff erent stakeholders for water conservation.

She said: “Water conservation is only possible through concerted eff orts. WUC therefore appreciates eff orts by all parties to conserve water through adoption of water conservation strategies, reduce, reuse and recycle as well as adhering to Level 2 water restrictions, currently in place.”

A local company called Multi Waste is determined to raise its hand for partnership. Th e company has got technology with which Grey water from bathing tubs and showers and kitchen sinks can be recycled and reused in gardens or car wash.

Its technician, Fabio Radikgageng, explained that grey water from water tubs, showers and kitchen sinks is collected through pipes, deposited into a special “grey water tank” equipped with processing valves and leaves the processing tank clean.

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Gaborone Dam

Wednesday September 2, 2020 | OPINION & ANALYSIS |8

LETTERS: The Telegraph welcomes letters from readers. Letters will be edited for possible libel, or length. The editor reserves the right to publish or reject a letter. Letters should be sent by e-mail to: editors@sundaystandard.co.bw, or be faxed to 3188795. They can also be posted to the postal address on the right. Even where pseudonyms are preferred writers should sign in their true names. Only signed correspondence will be published.

Editor: Spencer MogapiBusiness Coordinator: Victor Baatweng

Advertising Manager: David SeemaHead of Photography: Oaitse Sejakgomo

Head of Graphics: Boago Obuseng

FOR ADVERTISING CONTACT:GABORONE

Commerce Park;Plot 172 , Unit 1A

TEL: 3190905 FAX: 3190870FRANCISTOWN

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Editorial

This week’s cartoon

In less than three years the Directorate on Corrup-tion and Economic Crime (DCEC) has had no less than three Directors Gen-eral.

There has been Rose Seretse, Bruce Paledi, Jo-seph Mathambo and now Tymon Katholo.

This does not inspire confi dence on the position or the institution, for that matter.

Removing a head of the DCEC almost on a daily basis risks turning people against the president as the appointing authority.

No explanation is ever given when these people are removed.

There was a groundswell of innuendos way ahead of Paledi being removed. When that time came, peo-ple asked why he was even allowed to stay because it was clear from the begin-ning that he never stood a

chance. That was also the feeling with Mathambo.

This high turnover by itself says a lot about a position that in today’s cli-mate should ordinarily be the most important linking power and those on whose behalf power is being exer-cised.

At the moment the Director of Public Pros-ecutions enjoys a security of tenure.

This is deliberate a pro-tection and cushion because of the sensitivity of the job.

The same applies to the Attorney General.

Nobody can capriciously or whimsically remove those holding these two positions.

It is thus shocking that the equally important if not more important position of Director General at DCEC could be sacked by a simple summons from the em-ployer, in this instance the President.

Yet the DCEC is often touted as a reason why ordi-nary citizens should believe anybody in Botswana can be investigated and be pros-ecuted for corruption.

This fl ies in the face of reality and reason if the head of DCEC can be re-moved from offi ce willy-nilly.

There is also an issue of due diligence and also vet-ting. It is important that the high turnover in the last few years is an outcome of poor vetting and shoddy work on due diligence.

Otherwise what explains recalling Tymon Katholo who had long retired.

An impression is being created that Katholo is in-dispensable – which would be unfortunate if that was true.

An impression of in-terference is being created, that the Director General of DCEC has to do things

a certain way or they will be removed. This impres-sion of asphyxiating DCEC works against the president and his intentions.

People will in no time start questioning and then doubting his motives.

These are too important to be left to one or just two people.

At the moment it has been left to the President to hire and fi re – alone, at most surrounded like-minded people who owe their posi-tions to him.

That cannot be right, even if a president could be a saint.

And presidents are not saints – not by any stretch.

They are human beings with all human failings and human frailties.

At the moment parlia-ment has very few levers with which to shape the debate, much less effect change.

We are all at the mercy of a sitting President.

The DCEC Act has to be changed. When it comes to appointing the Director General, it has clearly been overtaken by events.

President Mokgweetsi Masisi has a big opportunity. If he wants more power, he can get it by giving some of it away.

No power is bigger than that derived from legitimacy and goodwill.

Appointing the head of DCEC no doubt can be used to tighten grip if a president is weakened.

But power without le-gitimacy and goodwill does not bring security.

He can on his own sur-render the power to appoint DCEC director general, and give that power to parlia-ment. Or at the very least start a process that would bring about the security of tenure for that position.

Dear Editor

I am startled to the bone marrow by Zimba-bwean vice president Kem-bo Muhadi who is asking people to praise president Mnangagwa for ruining healthcare system in Zim-babwe in the last two years. The mental faculties of Zimbabwean vice president defi nitely need some urgent psychiatric attention be-cause what he said can only be said by someone who is insane. Which planet is the Zimbabwean vice president living in if he can coura-geously ask Zimbabweans to give glory to president Emmerson Mnangagwa for resurrecting the dead health-

care systems? The health-care systems in Zimbabwe are facing multiple problems which include old and unfi t for purposes hospital facili-

ties, series of outbreaks of cholera, dysentery and diar-rhea. Some Zimbabweans are travelling to South Afri-ca to have medical attention

particularly hospitals in the border town of Mussina. Hospitals and clinics are not adequately cleaned and sanitized particularly during

this Covid 19 era. There are no medicines in hospitals and clinics in Zimbabwe. Ministers and other cabinet members receive medical at-tention in China, Singapore, India, South Africa which shows that they have no confi dence in Zimbabwean healthcare systems. All Zim-babweans should condemn Emmerson Mnangagwa, expose his failure to inspire hope and contributed the improvement to health and well-being of Zimbabwe-ans. He should retire, resign or removed from his presi-dency.

Kudzai Chikowore      Defender of Human Rights

Mnangagwa deserves no credit or praise for mismanaging Zimbabwean healthcare systems 

Position of DCEC head needs security of tenure

Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa

MISA-Botswana has learnt with regret that the speaker of the National Assembly Phandu Skelemani, has is-sued an order prohibiting the use of newspapers as sources of information by parliamentarians. It is a profoundly disturbing de-velopment given concerns about the proliferation of malfeasance in the award of government tenders dur-ing current health pandemic commonly referred to as COVID-19. It is common knowledge that the issue of corruption is perpetrated by those in positions of power and that civil servants are generally constrained in dealing with this scourge. The media is therefore of-ten perceived to be the best outlet for venting out frus-trations with the status quo. President Mokgweetsi Masi-si assumed offi ce promising to fi ght corruption and we do not believe that the posi-tion adopted by the speaker supports such an effort. We take this position because of the important role me-dia plays in informing and educating people about the detrimental effects of cor-ruption. The media is a guarantor of the rights of the weak and the vulnerable.

Mr Skelemani should note that Newspaper re-ports continue to be used widely as a source of infor-mation in academic works world over. In fact, if there is an unreliable institution it is that of politicians. There is enough evidence on how unreliable politicians are in fulfi lling their promises to the electorates. The Speaker should also note that Law Enforcement Agencies rely on the Media for informa-tion during their investiga-tions as previously alluded to by various leaders in such sectors. For him to disre-gard Media citations is par-liament is hypocritical.

It assumes this respon-sibility whilst cognizant of the importance of uphold-ing professional ethics and

skills, protecting vulnerable members of society from oppression and physical abuse by naming and sham-ing perpetrators and acting independently by giving subjects of stories the right of reply.

The role of media in shining a torch on corrup-tion is corroborated by international best practice as is vindicated by a 2018 OECD study which found that 2% of foreign bribery cases resulted from media reports on alleged corrup-tion, making media report-ing an important source of public awareness.

The capacity of the me-dia to be an effective tool against corruption and mal-practice depends in great part on having a supportive regulatory framework. With a draconian Media Practi-tioners Act(MPA) and the absence of Freedom of Information(FOI) legisla-tion the space in Botswana is not very favorable. But efforts to repeal MPA are cause for some jubilation.

Media access bridges this gap by allowing people to vent their frustrations by using various channels of communications whether online, print, radio or TV to disseminate impediments to well-meaning projects and policies. They are therefore partners with parliamentar-ians and other institutions of government like DCEC and the Ombudsman and not impediments to devel-opment process.

We therefore ask the speaker Phandu Skelemani to retract his position and remind him parliament is supposed to be ‘open’ and that its proceedings are ‘physically’ open to the public. This is not always straightforward in an age when we have COVID-19 and the security of public fi gures is an issue.

Your FaithfullyTefo PhatshwaneMISA – National Director

PRESS RELEASEMISA Botswana condemns Skelemani’s condemnation

of local media

Phandu Skelemani

‘Dear Mr President, Come take a walk with me….. I’d like to ask you some ques-tions if we can speak hon-estly…..How do you walk with your head held high.’ These are some of the lyr-ics from a song released by a singer called Pink whose real name is Alecia Beth Moore in 2006 directed at the for-mer President of the United States Gorge W. Bush. In this song, Pink asked Bush a lot of questions. But for me, my only question is to do with you openly involved in busi-ness activities while occupy-ing the high offi ce of this great Republic. This issue has been raised before by other compatriots including myself. But you are resolute that you don’t violate any law by do-ing so because you are not precluded by any known law from doing so. Those vested with the competency and the know-how tell us that you are indeed operating within the parameters of the law. What they tell us as well is that once you took that fi rst oath offi ce in April 2018 and the sec-ond one in November 2019, you ceased to be an ordinary Motswana like we poor souls. Those oaths of offi ce meant without any form of ambi-guity that your only interests once therein are to promote the interests of Botswana and Batswana and nothing else. Your involvement in business is going to demand your di-vided attention between the myriad of problems affl icting this country and your busi-ness interests. You are very much aware that you cannot serve two masters at the same time.

When you campaigned for offi ce last year, you promised that you were going to run a clean government grounded on the following values: good corporate governance, ac-countability, transparency and the Rule of Law. But once you factor in your own busi-ness interests in these values, these values are thrown out of the window. They mean absolutely nothing. Your business interests and those of Botswana and Batswana lead you My Dear Mr Presi-dent, to serious confl ict of in-terests. Merriam-Webster de-fi nes confl ict of interest as ‘a confl ict between the private interests and offi cial responsibilities of a person in a position of trust.’ My Dear Mr President, you are in a position of trust yet you are deeply confl icted. I am eager-ly waiting for your advisors to tell me how not confl icted you are given the current cir-cumstances you fi nd yourself

deeply entrenched in. You will be aware that James Madison said years ago that ‘No man is allowed to be a judge in his own case because his interests would cer-tainly bias his judgement, and not impropably, corrupt his integrity.’ I have raised the confl ict of interest in your circumstances before My Dear Mr President and I am about to tire any-time soon. It is an important message just like you tell us and correctly so, to observe Covid-19 protocols without tiring. The more you harp on the message that we should observe these protocols, the more the message is driven home.

My Dear Mr President, your offi ce is capacitated by men and women of good standing very knowledgeable on issues of confl ict of inter-est and moral ethics. I expect these individuals, collectively and individually, to have ad-vised you that while you are not lawfully precluded from involving yourself in business interests, it is not tenable that you do so given the position you now hold. Either this ad-vice was properly and honest-ly provided to protect you and the offi ce you hold and you refused it or, you were misled to believe that there nothing untoward. But given the dire implications of confl ict of in-terest as seen elsewhere, your situation cannot be any better. Given the fact that a narrative has emerged that people close to those in power are terri-fi ed to talk truth to power for fear of losing their jobs, it is very likely that they may have misled you. My Dear Mr President, you are on record to have told your Ministers in particular that they must stay very far from involving them-

selves in tender processes and procedures. And correctly so. These Ministers potentially own businesses which could tender for government ten-ders resulting in serious con-fl ict of interes. How different are you in the context of req-uisite moral ethics expected from people in high profi le leadership positions like your-self from these Ministers and how do you honestly expect them to accept your own situ-ation of confl ict of interest when you fearlessly defend your very own? Silently, those who are alive to values al-luded to above feel hard done but cannot openly speak out because you will show them the exit door.

In light of you involved in business interests, how do you expect to fi ght corruption and other forms of malfeasance when you are seemingly not above board? The purpose of business is to maximise prof-its where in most instances, is achieved by hook or crook as some would say. How do you expect me to believe that you won’t use your offi ce to fur-ther the maximisation of your business interests given that institutions that could bring you to account are answer-able to yourself and that you are protected by presidential immunity? The argument raised to legitimise your busi-ness involvement that you are not involved in the day to day decisions is pitifully fl awed if not out-rightly disingenuous. The fact of the matter My Dear Mr President is that you simply pull the strings from the comfort of your offi ce and your business interests are well and truly in place and above all, achieved.

Government that you

lead, is the main source of high value tenders in the economic landscape of this country. The companies that you own cannot by any stretch of imagination avoid to tender for these high value tenders. ‘How do you walk with your head held high’ when your own companies get involved in government tenders whether you are per-sonally involved or not? The end result is the same: your companies will benefi t from your government’s high or low value tenders. My Dear Mr President, I thought you will take advantage of placing your business interests in a blind trust as suggested by Rre Mogae the other day. A blind trust is defi ned as ‘handing the administration of private business interests to a third party who in turn manages them without providing the owner of any specifi cs about their investments.’ And this is if properly and honestly done. In this way, you would reasonably walk with your head held high in the knowl-edge that you won’t be criti-cised for confl ict of interest or moral ethics. The reason why you haven’t put your business interests in a blind trust it can be argued, is that you want to actively follow and infl uence such business interests to your own advan-tage from a vantage point of the high political offi ce you hold. The Business Weekly & Review newspaper dated 14-20 August 2020 ran with a front page story headlined ‘Masisi Defends Himself As President And Businessman.’ The story of this newspaper if correct I must add, confi rmed two key issues: that My Dear Mr Pres-ident is actively involved in

business and doesn’t see any-thing wrong with it and sec-ondly that ‘he has successfully acquired a portion of state-owned Banyana Farms…..’

In conclusion My Dear Mr President, it is fair to con-clude that the high values of good corporate governance, accountability, transparency and the Rule of Law which you passionately and fondly talked about as the ingredi-ents you wished to spice the Botswana dish with, were just a political strategy to win elections. If these values are not espoused and promoted from the highest offi ce of the land, where else will they be? Does My Dear Mr Presi-dent honestly and genuinely expect the society at large to shun confl ict of interest and embrace moral ethics for the said high value imperatives to be the guiding prerequisites for a better Botswana? It is tragic that My Dear Mr Presi-dent chooses to conveniently confi ne himself to only the legality of his business inter-ests while at the same time conveniently as well, ignor-ing the moral ethics side of the coin. Moral ethics may be an unwritten rule but a very important one that should bring us together to a point of convergence. My Dear Mr President, I am afraid and at the same time sad that you are not taking an honest walk with me as promised last year . I rest my case. I am prepared to be persuaded otherwise as always. Judge for Yourself !

Covid-19 pandemic is still very much with us. Let us all observe, promote and imple-ment health protocols. It is our duty to do so.

adamphetlhe08@gmail.com

Wednesday September 2, 2020 | OPINION & ANALYSIS | 9

Opinion / AnalysisTHE

LINGUIST CHAIR

PROF. THAPELO OTLOGETSWE

WITHOUT FEAR OR FAVOUR

ADAM PHETLHE

President Mokgweetsi Masisi

An open letter to My Dear Mr President

Many museums in Africa are dominated by archaeologists and historians and lack dedicated units that study and collect the linguistic wealth of communities within which the museums are established. They collect art and artefacts – real objects of histor-ical and cultural signifi cance for display. There is a need to con-sider language as an important artefact and museums need to put structures in place to explore a documentation of different African languages.

Like any artefact, language is a repository of a people’s culture and customs. What separates language from other museum artefacts is that it is a living en-tity – its words grow and some die. Much of African culture and customs fi nd expression through the tapestry of various languages found in many com-munities. Languages are storages of intricate identities as well as indigenous knowledge systems of a people on plants, medicine, food, beliefs, values, customs and many more. They are the means through which a people’s culture and traditions and shared values are transmitted and pre-served. In this paper we make a few suggestions of what mu-seums can do to preserve lan-guages – as languages preserve a history of a people.

Objects collected in muse-ums give us a special kind of ac-cess to the past. They allow us to touch (within careful parameters usually) something that was used by people, and thus get a physical feel for their lives. We can learn about past societies’ values from what they kept, and what materi-als they made things from – or about the nature of their daily life from such simple things as cooking utensils and furniture.

Museum artefacts bear marks of how they’ve been used, giving us access to ideas that may have been too fundamental to a person’s life ever to have been written down. For instance the wear and tear on books can show us how people read them, with some even showing the rust marks of the knife used to cut the pages in an era when text was printed on large sheets of paper which were folded the size of the fi nished book. A language museum can illuminate how a language emerges and how lan-guage preservation works. Lan-guage in museums may also give people a chance to refl ect about questions around multilingual-ism, identity, and diversity, and about their own language skills. Language rooms in museums would be devoted to informa-tion, education, documentation and/or research about language of some kind or another. Lan-guage is a cultural, social or po-litical issue as well as a linguistic one, and in this broader sense, language rooms in museums will also include institutions that deal with the written or spoken cul-ture as their core theme. For the Setswana this will include some of the key formative areas in the development of Setswana. They would include the Kuru-man Press under the leadership of Robert Moffat. They would document the processes that were adopted in the writing, translation and printing of the fi rst Setswana Bible. Germany has several museums celebrat-ing the history of the German language, its literary heroes and long tradition of book-printing and the written word. Languages in museums while helping us un-derstand the past, they will help us to defi ne the future.

A language room will criti-cally examine language use in the present day. Addressing this ever-shifting and intangible sub-ject-matter poses a creative chal-lenge. They aim to create exhib-its that the visitors themselves can contribute to, engaging in

dialogue and open-ended learn-ing outcomes. Language rooms will present various aspects of the language, its development, its variants and its character in the modern context, so that visi-tors can understand that it is in-deed a living, growing language that is constantly adapting itself to the modern world. The themes of the exhibitions may include:

� the history of our languag-es and literature and dia-lects, the language of the present, writing, language games, language aware-ness and the responsibility of the language use, local languages, reform and the life and work of different linguists and lexicographers (e.g. MLA Kgasa).

� All Botswana languages and dialects could be col-lected both in written and spoken form.

� Songs and poems could be recorded around the coun-try and played in the mu-seum (e.g. Molema – dipina le maboko).

The objective of the museum must be to create a living rep-resentation of the Botswana languages, where visitors may be surprised and educated by unusual and unfamiliar aspects of their own native language. It must highlight the important infl uences of cross-regional events on the lives of the popu-lation and pinpoint the existing interrelations between landscape forms and lifestyles. It should include the history and develop-ment of Setswana lexicography. Who were the major players in Setswana lexicography? What were their principal infl uences? What compilations and pub-lications did they make? For instance, the development of English lexicography considered a dictionary as a historical monu-ment.

“A Dictionary is an histori-cal monument, the history of a nation contemplated from one point of view; and the wrong ways into which a language has wandered or been disposed to wander, may be nearly as in-structive as the right ones in which it has traveled: as much as may be learned, or nearly as much from its failures as from its success, from its follies as from its wisdom.” (Richard Chenevix Trench, 1860:7)

A language museum will also expose visitors to the Setswana dialectal variation whose roots are principally historical. Bang-waketse call pounded meat loswao, a word that is used by Bangwato to refer to the two pronged stick that is used in pounding meat. Bangwato = seswaa (the thing that pounds). Bakgatla = tšhotlho (that which has been chewed). Bakwena (Sechele) = tshwaiwa (that which has been pounded). When sorghum is cooked alone, it is called lesasaoka by Bangwato and lehata by Bangwaketse. On the other hand, Bangwato use the word lehata to refer to a mix-ture of samp/maize and beans. The Bangwaketse and other tribes use the term dikgobe to re-fer to a mixture of samp/maize/sorghum and beans. Beans can be mixed with other foods to make unique dishes amongst the Batswana. When beans are mixed with letšhotlho (previously cooked and then dried maize) they are called dikgobe tsa letšhotlho by Bangwaketse and ntshwatshwa by Bangwato. The sour porridge amongst the Bangwaketse and Barolong is known as ting while Bangwato call it lešibišibi.

Botswana needs a museum wholly committed to document-ing the richness of our languages and educating the citizens on the language wealth contained in our country.

Botswana needs a museum of languages

Dear Editor I struggle to understand what exactly the Zimba-bwean president Emmer-son Mnangagwa has so far achieved in offi ce two years after inauguration. Cor-ruption has increased in all sectors of the Zimbabwean economy including govern-ment institutions. He has

also spearheaded the rig-ging of elections and has attempted to destroy the opposition party. Human rights abuses have intensi-fi ed signifi cantly worse than witnessed in Mugabe’s era. Unemployment and high infl ation have caused many Zimbabweans to cross Limpopo river with danger-ous crocodiles into South

Africa looking for better economic conditions. The Zimbabwean transport sys-tem is dysfunctional with poor roads networks, traf-fi c lights not working, roads full of potholes causing major accidents, road signs and directions are missing. The healthcare system has collapsed with hospitals with no resources, equip-

ment and machines. Nurses and doctors are always on industrial action seeking better working conditions. Operations are cancelled because of staff short-ages and lack of electricity. Residents in urban areas are drinking sewage and mud-contaminated water. There have been numerous out-breaks of cholera, typhoid

and diarrhoea. The banking system in Zimbabwe is un-stable with no cash in banks, no cash in ATMs and no foreign currency. President Mnangagwa’s two years in offi ce has been served with abject failures and gross human rights abuses. He should resign. Tapiwa Muskwe

There is nothing for Zimbabwean president to celebrate two years after inauguration 

Wednesday September 2, 202010

A projected 110 000 residents of 52 villages in the North East and the Central District will soon goodbye to days of rationing and

and deteriorating water quality due to over abstraction

PUMP STATIONS

1 PIPELINES

2 VILLAGE STORAGE and BULK RESERVIORS

different villages

REMEDIAL WORKS:

3 CIVIL / STRUCTURAL REMEDIAL WORKS

4 MECHANICAL WORKS REMEDIAL

SHASHEMOOKE PRIMARY WATER SUPPLY INFRASTRUCTURE

villages are supplied by an interconnected water supply

Phase 1

of the project was to ensure the supply of enough potable water quantity to the three villages through the construction of:

Phase 2:

NORTH EAST DISTRICT AND TUTUME SUB DISTRICT GROUND-BREAKING CEREMONIES

Water Works

1 23 4

Wednesday September 2, 2020Markets | Companies | Mining | World Business

Air Botswana to spread wings to Harare, Lusaka routes - Pg 12

By Kabelo Seitshiro

Th e Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, Dr Wilfred Mandlebe has raised concerns about poor fi nancial management across government entities.

Appearing before Public Accoun