Leadership turmoil deepen concerns over BMC’s future

As Botswana’s meat industry grapples with declining performance and financial strain, internal leadership turmoil at the Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) is raising fresh concerns about the future of the state-owned enterprise.

According to a former employee who shared insights with this publication, the organisation is facing “a perfect storm” of leadership disputes, operational failures, and eroding stakeholder confidence.

In recent months, the BMC experienced a series of disruptions, including the abrupt departure of its former Chief Executive Officer, David Tsheboeng, in January 2025, mounting debts to employees

and farmers, the long-term closure of the beef canning plant, and continuing challenges with accreditation for key export markets.

The former employee, who requested anonymity, described the current situation as “a convergence of three storms: weak leadership, disgruntled workers and loss of market accreditation.”

These factors have placed the Commission in an increasingly precarious position.

According to the former employee, the Board’s appointment of three senior executives over the past two years has been a major source of instability.

The executives—named by the former employee are David Tsheboeng, Brian Dioka and Mmabasotho Tibe—were allegedly appointed despite limited experience in the meat-processing and export industry.

Former Chief Operations Officer Brian Dioka responded to the allegations thus:

“After much careful thought and advice, but also having left BMC 6 months back, it’d be uncouth for me to make any comments about my former employer, whom I have had the privilege to serve for 10 years straight, and in varied senior executive roles. Please do refer all enquiries to BMC.”

Tsheboeng was also reluctant to comment on the allegations, saying he is still bound by BMC confidentiality policy, adding that the rightful people to answer are the Board and current Executive.

'I have long left BMC, I am not aware of any instability or the allegations,' he said, further noting that he worked cordially with all executives.

On whether he qualified for the job or not Tsheboeng had this to say, 'I am a highly qualified and experienced executive, with three management degrees and more than 25 years at executive level. I think the employer made the right call.'

Meanwhile the former employee maintains that internal divisions among the executives created a “toxic environment” and undermined decision-making at a time when the Commission was already under financial pressure.

The former employee alleges that intense competition among the executives for control of the organisation contributed to operational dysfunction.

According to these claims, rivalries escalated into what they described as “guerrilla-style tactics,” including attempts to discredit one another and influence major strategic decisions.

The former employee also alleged that internal disputes contributed to missteps in procurement, including an advance payment of P20 million to a contractor for the construction of a tannery, secondary processing plant ahead of national elections.

They claim that the matter was later reported to the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC), leading to the former CEO’s departure. These allegations have not been independently verified, and no official charges have been announced by authorities.

Following the CEO’s exit, Acting CEO Mmabasotho Tibe, formerly the Chief Financial Officer, assumed leadership of the Commission. Industry observers say her leadership now faces heightened scrutiny due to the Commission’s ongoing financial and operational challenges.

The former employee warns that unless urgent reforms are undertaken, the BMC faces a high risk of closure—an outcome that would directly affect thousands of cattle farmers and workers across the country.

“The BMC requires leadership that understands not only the commercial side of the enterprise but also the scientific and technical aspects of the meat value chain,” the source said. They argue that the organisation’s decline over the past three years is linked to “a mismatch between leadership skills and the needs of the business.”

Workers at the Lobatse plant have reportedly raised concerns about salaries, working conditions and stalled operations, while farmers continue to await delayed payments for cattle supplied.

The beef canning facility, once central to BMC’s diversification strategy, has not produced output for more than two years, further constraining revenue. The former employee believes that the only path to recovery is a comprehensive overhaul of the executive leadership.

They argue that the Board and the shareholder—Government—must re-evaluate the top management structure and prioritise the appointment of professionals with specialised knowledge of meat science, export compliance, and agro-processing operations.

“Without decisive action, the organisation will continue on a downward spiral,” the former employee said. “The next steps taken by the Board may determine whether the BMC survives or collapses.”

The BMC Board has not issued an official response to the concerns raised. The Ministry of Agriculture has previously said it is monitoring the situation closely as part of its mandate to protect the livestock sector.

As the Commission plays a central role in Botswana’s beef industry and rural economy, stakeholders are increasingly calling for greater transparency and urgent corrective measures to stabilise the organisation.