04 Aug 2019

Minister of Infrastructure and Housing Development, Mr Vincent Seretse, launched the ministry’s anti-corruption policy in Gaborone on recently.

He said the policy had guiding principles on commitment to control fraud and corruption in employees’ day to day activities.

The policy outlines the ministry leadership commitment to the fight against corruption.

Minister Seretse stated that although Botswana was classified among the least corrupt countries in Africa and across the world, the nation should never be content with being labelled the least corrupt.

“As a country, we should not celebrate being better than others but rather be hundred per cent free of corruption in order to safeguard the wealth of our country for future generations,” he said.

Mr Seretse highlighted that many nations in Africa with abundant natural resources remained the poorest and buildings and roads collapse everyday due to corruption.

“The damage caused by corruption in terms of loss and injury, particularly in the developing world, is also becoming more widely understood, with the resultant realisation that all efforts must be made to eliminate corruption,” he said.

He noted that the policy shall assist employees, stakeholders, decision makers and corruption prevention committees of the ministry to become aware of what structures and procedures the ministry has in place to prevent corruption.

Minister Seretse pointed out that to make the policy more accessible, it had also been translated into Setswana and Braille.

“The policy contains minimum standards governing anti-corruption and ethical responsibilities for supplies, services and works contractors doing business or wishing to do business of any nature with the ministry.

It also contains minimum standards governing anti-corruption and ethical responsibilities for the ministry, its leadership and employees during the performance of the ministry duties and responsibilities,” he said.

Deputy director of Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime, Ms Erika Ndlovu, said the launch came at a time when corruption in Botswana was taking a hefty dimension, which required policies to be put into place. She said if not addressed, corruption could harm the economy.

Ms Ndlovu highlighted that in some instances, the contractor would inflame the contract with a bribe, by adding the bribe money to the tendered amount.

“This is very worrisome as the biggest loser in this is an ordinary Motswana who has pending innovations and projects because there is no money whereas somebody somewhere used way more than they should have,” she said.

The deputy director said measures put in place to stop corruption took time, hence the need to continuously interrogate and see what important measure could be put in place to deliver on time.

“Anti-corruption structures cannot combat crime without the input of stakeholders hence the need for a collective action,” she said. ENDS