08 Sep 2026

Government has as part of its mandate of public administration and efforts to drive public policy, taken a decision to embark on corporate governance .

This was revealed by the Minister of Local Government and Traditional Affairs, Mr Ketlhalefile Motshegwa at the 5^th annual corporate governance conference in Tlokweng on Thursday.

Delivering a key note address at the two-day event, Minister Motshegwa said the decision was driven by the urge to accomplish and sustain a culture of effective leadership, good governance, agile and sound decision and service excellence.

“Our mantra is meritocracy, performance-driven, competence-based system of Local Government in Botswana. We must remember that councils are involved in facilitating business amongst others through licensing, land leasing and other processes. We have received complaints about red tape, too much bureaucracy, that stifle progress and results,” said Mr Motshegwa.

He said local authorities role must primarily be facilitators, to make it possible for investors and Batswana in their request of service delivery.

Minister Motshegwa said there was need to raise the continent’s boldest leaders, thinkers, entrepreneurs, professionals and change-makers for transformation and sustainability of Botswana and Africa. He said the drive was anchored on the vision for autonomous, financial independence and high performance local authorities anchored on agility, efficiency and quest for results.

“In this journey, the most important virtue will be effective leadership, for as I have already enunciated the success and failure of any organisation, institution rests on leadership.

“This country therefore is yearning for transformational, competent, visionary, robust and solid leadership for transmutation and metamorphosis of the political economy of this republic,” he added. He said such efforts if done without proper environment of effective and ethical leadership, good corporate governance would just be failure from the beginning.

Mr Motshegwa highlighted that efforts must be pivoted with the foundation of good corporate governance, responsibility and accountability with effective leadership from councillors and cutting edge expertise from management.

Mr Motshegwa said his ministry was fermenting an organisational culture of an agile, high performance and results orientated in touch with the people and with great contribution to the developmental agenda of the country. 

“This is taking into consideration the ministry’s proximity to the people, creating the sacred responsibility to offer quality service delivery to the people. This is the crux of decentralisation, of which cabinet three weeks back adopted “decentralisation policy” a transformative policy to ensure efficient service delivery to the people,” he said.

He noted that government was dedicated to building high performance councils in the country and thus embarked on robust reform programmes to redefine the role of local authorities.

Wise Leadership company Managing Director, Ms Mpho Kgosietsile shared an overview of governance challenges across different sectors in Botswana. 

She said key governance challenges among others were lack of structured and results oriented performance evaluation frameworks for chief executive officers, board over delegation and inadequate succession planning.

Other challenge that was cited by Ms Kgosietsile included lack of integrated thinking and traditional non-integrated reporting mechanisms that fail to adopt an inclusive stakeholder approach and deficiencies in core board operations.

“Despite these challenges many areas remain within a board’s direct control. Boards must proactively strengthen the combined assurance model, run results oriented meetings, empower robust committees, provide strategic oversight. Monitor key risks and leverage emerging opportunities,” she said. The conference brought together leading governance thought leaders, board members, executives and professionals for discussions on some of the most pressing issues affecting corporate governance and organisational leadership today. ENDS