22 Jun 2025

About 80 per cent of political leaders have already declared their assets, income and liabilities as per the stipulation of Declaration of Assets and Liabilities Act, says chief ethics and integrity officer at the Ethics and Integrity Directorate, Ms Seeletso Lekgaba.

The act mandates the declaration of interests, assets, income and liabilities for specific categories of individuals.

Responding to comments raised by North West District councillors, Ms Lekgaba appreciated that political leaders were complying with the act citing that the remaining 20 per cent covered those who experienced difficulties in filling up the declaration forms and those asked to make corrections.

She emphasised the importance of declaring assets saying it prevented and detected corruption, money laundering and the acquisition of property from proceeds of other crime.

Ms Lekgaba encouraged new councillors to declare their assets as they were included in the act which she said applied to various individuals including district commissioners, council secretaries, judicial officers, land board members and some public service officials among others.

She also stated that the primary goal of the act was to promote transparency and accountability in the public service and to prevent corrupt practices.

Botswana, she said had signed some conventions citing the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC). “As such we are expected to promote integrity and prevent corruption as well as to ensure responsible and accounting public officials,” said Ms Lekgaba

The Convention introduces a comprehensive set of standards, measures and rules that all countries can apply in order to strengthen their legal and regulatory regimes to fight corruption.

It also calls for the preventative measures and the criminalisation of the most prevalent forms of corruption in both public and private sectors.

Ms Lekgaba also called on political leaders to uphold high ethical standards to comply with declaration requirements saying they should act with integrity and display acceptable behaviours as the community were eyeing them as role models.

She said they were given two weeks to complete the declaration forms and submit to the council secretary so that he forward them to the relevant authority.

Councillor for Kareng-Qhorotsha, Mr Keapoletswe Keapoletswe appreciated the act and wanted to know how many had declared their assets since the implementation of the act.

He emphasised the need to enforce the act saying it could help curb issues of corruption which he said were rampant in the political sphere.

Councillor Bathokomedi Monnatsie of Makalamabedi-Phuduhudu also noted that some politicians experienced increase of wealth after being elected into office and wished the declaration list together with assets could be availed for public domain including the media.

He also requested that the act should be extended to companies as owners may register their assets under their companies’ names.

In response, Ms Lekgaba said declaration list of assets was not accessible to the public citing that the list of those who had declared assets could be accessible while the list of assets was viewed only by the Ethics and Integrity Directorate. ENDS