BMC staff paid for doing nothing

It has been revealed that funds that the Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) has lost could have been avoided if proper cooperate governance was followed.

The most recent former Chief Finance Officer of the BMC, Assie Mangadi told the BMC Parliamentary Select Committee that the parastatal has a tendency of hiring professionals and paying them salaries at the same time engaging private consultants.

 The former CFO said several finance and accounting firms were usually used to handle the accounts and finances at the BMC despite the parastatal having qualified and experienced staff that could have done the job. “Staff was thus paid for doing nothing, as consultants did their job.”

 According to Mangadi, a certain board member by the name Shiva Prasad was appointed acting CFO, which made Mangadi wonder if he would not be conflicted.  Parasad was apparently paid over P870 000 for a month’s work as financial consultant despite sitting in the BMC board. “The same Prasad who was board member cum acting CFO was paid also for consultancy work at BMC,” she told the committee.

 Asked who signed Prasad’s appointment as a consultant for BMC, Mangadi said it was the Human Resource Manager, Mothusi Ntobedzi. The latter apparently defended Prasad’s appointment at the time saying it was a board decision and could not be overturned.

 When asked by Mephato Reatile, the committee’s chairperson why she left the BMC last year, Mangadi said she feared jeopardizing her integrity as a chartered accountant under the “mismanaged parastatal where cooperate governance was overlooked.” She also stated sour working relations with Prasad.