03 Aug 2026

Legislation should attract investors rather than scare them away, Minister for State President, Defence and Security, Mr Moeti Mohwasa, has said.

Minister said this in Parliament recently as he led rejection of a motion to introduce employee share schemes in Botswana.

The defeated motion, brought by Selebi Phikwe West MP, Mr Reuben Kaizer, called on government to encourage employee share schemes, through a policy framework or legislation, as a strategy to enhance engagement, talent retention and alignment of interests between employers and workers.

The motion was ultimately voted down by 20 MPs while 11 supported it.

In his submissions, Minister Mohwasa, also Specially Elected MP, informed legislators that current laws did not stop companies from offering or giving shares to their staff, leaving the choice entirely at the discretion of employers. 

He suggested that companies should instead be encouraged to offer lucrative and healthy salaries, highlighting that some employees had no interest in equity ownership. 

Mr Mohwasa also emphasised that government desired to maintain a conducive business environment for both local and international investors.

Other MPs also rejected the motion and among them was Lentsweletau-Lephephe MP, Mr Tshenolo Bogatsu, who argued that Botswana operated as a free-market economy with a small space for competition. 

He warned that the motion would scare away foreign investors and risk economic collapse given the country’s ailing economy. 

Serowe West MP, Mr Onapelo Kedikilwe also argued that the motion would negatively impact Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).

Earlier in the debate, Mr Kaizer had outlined key benefits of the initiative, including boosted motivation, improved talent retention, financial growth opportunities and higher productivity.

Supporters of the motion also pushed back against the opposition. 

Chobe MP, Mr Simasiku Mapulanga argued that employee shareholding fostered accountability and drove productivity by aligning worker and employer goals. 

He added that employee share schemes would provide long-term benefits for workers in sectors like tourism and retail, where pension provisions were often lacking. 

Nkange MP, Mr Motlhalemang Moalosi argued that the motion was not intended to force companies, but to, instead, regulate the process.

Responding to the debate, Mr Kaizer expressed disappointment with legislators whom, he said, had distorted the motion’s objective. 

He reiterated that the proposal was not meant to dictate terms to businesses, but to create an enabling environment for economic opportunities for Batswana that would ultimately boost the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). ENDS