17 Aug 2026

Permanent Secretary to the President (PSP), Ms Matshidiso Bokole, will consult the Directorate of Intelligence and Security (DIS) Director General Brigadier Peter Magosi over the controversy surrounding allegations of the missing P100 billion from the Bank of Botswana in 2019.

Appearing before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Thursday, Ms Bokole said the Office of the PSP was not in a position to state government’s position on the matter.

Her response follows a question from PAC member and Gamalete legislator, Mr Boniface Mabeo who noted contradicting assertions made during recent appearances before the PAC by the DIS, Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC).

During his recent appearance before the committee, DIS Director General, Brigadier Magosi, said the agency wanted to reopen investigations into the disputed P100 billion, maintaining that the alleged missing funds remained an active matter.

His testimony contrasted with the High Court ruling and submissions by the DPP and DCEC, which dismissed the allegations as unfounded.

Ms Bokole also pledged to investigate allegations of structural corporate governance challenges at the DIS, following claims by Mr Mabeo that the agency had 52 personnel on the Deputy Director salary scale of E2.

She further reaffirmed government’s commitment to eliminating fictitious employees from the public payroll and addressing salary overpayments.

Ms Bokole acknowledged that government had recently identified an alarming number of ghost employees and salary overpayments, adding that efforts to eliminate them and hold perpetrators accountable were yielding results.

On public service reforms, Ms Bokole said decentralisation and corporatisation were expected to address some of the challenges more effectively.

She said the current centralised system made it difficult to track and deal with challenges and alleged misconduct at local level.

“The corporatisation of government departments through centralisation of functions would play a positive role in cutting off some of the red tape that hinders productivity of government departments,” she said.

Ms Bokole said the establishment of the Performance Management Forum was aimed at aligning public sector execution with the national vision and the National Development Plan, while motivating productivity in the workforce.

She reaffirmed government’s commitment to the national transformation agenda, anchored by the ongoing implementation of the National Development Plan 12 and the Botswana Economic Transformation Programme.

Ms Bokole said ongoing structural reforms in the public service were intended to improve implementation of government programmes by reforming the civil service and making it more operational. ENDS