17 Apr 2019

The sheer scale of corruption in Botswana is mind boggling and horrifying, President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi told journalists shortly after arrival from Qatar April 16. 

He said revelations of unimaginable plunder of public coffers continued to pour into his office.

There were too many “very frustrating and inexplicable expenses, leakages and escalations of costs” that could not be ignored., he said. 

“I was horrified just before I went to Qatar to learn that yet another demand is being put to BMC of approximately P48 million that seemed not to have been known, it just emerges. So one wonders how many more of these will come about,” he said.

The President said he was far more resolute to eliminate corruption and ensure perpetrators were brought to book.

He said the Minister of Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration, Mr Nonofo Molefhi would table the Declaration of Assets and Liabilities Bill in the winter session  of Parliament.

The bill, he said, would be a baseline for rooting out corruption.

Saying he was aware there would be repercussions, President Masisi asserted:  “I am going to forge ahead and go after all people who are corrupt - using legal means that are at our disposal;  And I keep saying, if you have sticky fingers clean them now rather than postpone it.”

Dr Masisi said it was time the corrupt allowed their consciences to reawaken and cause them to have a sense of guilt so they could stop stealing from the people.

He said he was aware there were delays in prosecuting perpetrators which resulted in much frustration for his administration and the public. 

“But you must also be aware that corruption also develops a system of its own, evading detection, but there will be no tiring on our part, we will catch those that we can catch,” he said.

President Masisi vowed that his administration would go all out to find the necessary expertise to deal with the more complicated cases. ENDS