Boko takes a swipe at Air Botswana top brass
President Advocate Duma Boko has taken a swipe at the lack of strategic thinking by the Air Botswana leadership.
The president revealed that out of the many priorities he has set for himself, there are four key organisations topping his agenda that have to be solved before end of this year.
These are Air Botswana, Botswana Meat Commission (BMC), Botswana Agricultural Marketing Board (BAMB) and Botswana Railways (BR). All these State Owned Enterprises have for long been operating at a loss and failing to deliver services to the public.
“At Air Botswana we have found experts who will help us revive it. You cannot take a farmer to run Air Botswana. Just because the person has a farm near the border, always sees motor vehicles and aeroplanes then you think such a person can run the Airliner,” Boko said this week when addressing a Kgotla meeting in Tlokweng.
He explained that if one thinks along those lines it means such a leader is not serious. Boko stated that Air Botswana has to be fully functional and effective.
“I will be convinced that we have arrived there when I see people preferring to travel by Air from here to Francistown. It means effectiveness and cheaper than by road”.
He added, “as a leader your job is to be a strategic thinker. Then you come up with strategic ways of improving things then you delegate your officer to do the job.”
According to the president, they have identified experts from outside the country who are qualified and trusted to help revive Air Botswana. They have been added to the Board and the President has personally interviewed them.
“They were there just for six hours and they have expressed shock at how the Airliner has been operating. They told me that Botswana has advantage over other countries in Southern Africa.
Botswana is the centre, whether you want to travel North, South, East or West. We are geographically in a good space,” he told the meeting.
He indicated that this is a clear indication that the way Air Botswana has been run was wrong. The president revealed that he has given the experts just a few months to fix the mess at Air Botswana.
Air Botswana has over the years faced several challenges especially financial stability. The Airliner at one point failed to pay employees and to submit its financial statements.
In 2021 Air Botswana failed to finalise its financial statements for the year ended March 2020, as it awaits a letter of support from government without which, auditors would be forced to declare the national airline insolvent.
Lately, the Airliner has been accused of procuring aircraft that are second hand and not safe to schedule for flying