- Backbenchers want manifesto implementation, civil service sanitized
- MP Arafat Khan says UDC should put its people in strategic positions
- MP Phenyo Segokgo wants corrupt officials named and govt whip them
- Minister Major Mokgware suggests that Land Boards be dissolved ASAP
A contingent of Members of Parliament from the ruling Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) have made their voices resoundingly clear in parliament over the past two weeks, urging their President, Advocate Duma Boko, to act decisively by dismissing certain officials and reclaiming ‘misappropriated state resources.’
According to MP Arafat Khan, Botswana’s reputation has drastically shifted over the past five years—from a land of immense opportunity to one with an uncertain future. He describes the period from 2018/19 to October 2024 as one of the bleakest for the nation’s economy, marked by frivolous remarks and gestures on matters of national importance.
“As a nation, we have been subjected to a series of political theatrics in the form of unfulfilled promises. Corruption and looting must be investigated without delay, and those responsible prosecuted. The concept of Development Managers must be halted immediately. This was orchestrated theft on a grand scale. The BDP government shamelessly orchestrated companies to engage in daylight robbery and attempted to normalize such plunder. The government must also reassess the corruptible Development Manager (DM) model and ensure that companies benefiting from this model return the funds.”
The outspoken MP reminds Batswana of a figure named Phadi, urging the government to conduct lifestyle audits on former ministers to ascertain their wealth sources. This should be done promptly, especially for former Ministers Mzwinila, Molale, Molao, Morwaeng, Rakgare, and Serame. It is crucial to restore public confidence in the State by initiating judicial proceedings on corruption and conducting lifestyle audits of executives and board members of State-Owned Enterprises.
Tlokweng MP Phenyo Segokgo has stirred considerable discussion following his response to the State of the Nation Address (SONA). He asserts that, even with their short tenure in power, the ruling party should already be implementing measures to reform government institutions historically plagued by corruption.
Segokgo, a first-time MP representing Tlokweng, has pledged his support to protesters questioning CEDA’s integrity, committing to pursue the issue in parliament. He has also hinted at maladministration within the Botswana Unified Revenue Service (BURS), urging the leadership under Boko to investigate and remove those implicated, as the UDC government has zero tolerance for office abuse and maladministration.
Minister of Labour Affairs and MP for Gabane-Mmankgodi, Major General Pius Mokgware, has also forcefully stated that many Land Boards, particularly Kweneng’s, should be dissolved. He believes the previous regime used these positions to reward allies and safeguard their interests. Additionally, he expresses concern over the ‘corruption’ within the land board that has gone unaddressed.
“Land boards, especially Kweneng’s, should be dissolved. People’s lands have been seized by board members and employees without proper compensation, leaving them landless. There were also attempts by the same board to demolish people’s homes, labeling them ‘illegal squatters’.” Mokgware insists these issues must be promptly addressed by the current government to regain voter confidence and trust.
