11 May 2026

The Speaker of the National Assembly, Mr Dithapelo Keorapetse, has underscored the critical role of parliamentary oversight in ensuring accountability and efficiency within Botswana’s State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs), describing the institutions as central to national development and public service delivery.

Speaking during a capacity-building workshop for members of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Statutory Bodies and State Enterprises in Gaborone, Mr Keorapetse said the training came at a crucial moment ahead of the committee’s scheduled examination of SOEs beginning on May 11.

“This two days training is convened at a pivotal time. SOEs play a critical role in driving service delivery, economic transformation and employment creation,” said Mr Keorapetse.

He stressed that SOEs, which were largely established through legislation, must operate with efficiency, accountability and purpose, because they were custodians of significant public resources and beneficiaries of government guarantees and subsidies.

Mr Keorapetse said Parliament’s oversight responsibility was rooted not only in the Standing Orders of the National Assembly, but also in the Constitution of Botswana.

He explained that parliamentary committees were mandated to examine the accounts of statutory bodies and companies in which government held an interest, directly or indirectly.

“Our oversight mandate is not only derived from the Standing Orders, it is also derived from the Constitution,” he said.

He further noted that Parliament played a direct role in approving government guarantees and borrowing arrangements involving SOEs, citing the Botswana Power Corporation (BPC) as an example of entities backed by parliamentary guarantees to secure financing.

“Government cannot go and guarantee anything without the involvement of Parliament,” he said.

Mr Keorapetse expressed concern over delays in implementing recommendations arising from parliamentary oversight processes, saying audit reports should not be treated as historical documents but as warning signals requiring urgent action.

“These reports are not historical records, they are warning signals that demand serious parliamentary attention,” he said.

Mr Keorapetse said the training workshop was designed around three key pillars essential for effective oversight, mentioning leveraging audit reports, enhancing examination skills and upholding ethical standards.

He said Members of Parliament must go beyond simply restating audit findings by interrogating root causes, evaluating management responses and assessing whether corrective measures were credible and time-bound.

“The task is not to restate audit findings, but to interrogate them, understand root causes, assess management responses and determine whether corrective actions are credible and time-bound,” he said.

Mr Keorapetse further said effective SOE oversight required MPs to understand governance structures, executive accountability, financial sustainability and institutional performance.

He also emphasised the importance of ethical conduct during parliamentary examinations, urging committee members to remain objective, independent and transparent.

“We are not adversaries of SOEs, we are guardians of the public interest, our purpose is to strengthen institutions, not to undermine them,” he said.

He reminded committee members that their effectiveness would ultimately be measured by the quality of their recommendations and the extent to which those recommendations were implemented, adding that follow-up, consistency and institutional memory were crucial.

Mr Keorapetse said the workshop presented an opportunity for Parliament to strengthen its oversight role, reinforce public confidence and improve governance standards across Botswana’s State-Owned Enterprises.

The parliamentary examinations of SOEs are expected to begin next week, with lawmakers set to scrutinise auditor-general reports, external audit findings and management letters covering several financial years. ENDS