Modise’s leadership under fire as crisis deepen
Health Minister Dr Stephen Modise is facing mounting allegations of intimidation, internal conflict and administrative interference within Botswana’s struggling public health sector, as medicine shortages and dissatisfaction inside the Ministry continue to fuel scrutiny over his leadership.
Sources in the Ministry of Health say that a senior government medical practitioner allegedly had a heated confrontation with the Minister and was ordered out of his office following a dispute. The official is said to have subsequently filed a formal complaint over the incident.
When contacted for comment on the allegations, Dr Modise responded briefly: “No comment.”
In a separate written response, Ministry spokesperson Dr Christopher Nyanga denied knowledge of the allegations, stating: “The Ministry is not aware of the allegations you refer to.”
The alleged confrontation is emerging alongside broader accusations from insiders who describe a Ministry gripped by fear, tension and growing instability under Dr Modise’s leadership.
Multiple sources claim the Minister has increasingly inserted himself into operational and personnel matters traditionally handled through established administrative channels, allegedly undermining senior officials and centralising decision-making within his office.
Sources allege that since he took office in November 2024, at least three Permanent Secretaries have either left or sought to leave the Ministry amid worsening internal tensions.
Further claims suggest that two private secretaries were dismissed during the same period, with one reportedly appealing the decision to the Deputy Permanent Secretary.
The Ministry denied allegations that Dr Modise bypasses administrative structures. “The Ministry is not aware of such allegations,” Dr Nyanga said.
Defending the Minister’s leadership style, Dr Nyanga said Dr Modise’s involvement in Ministry operations was intended to remove bottlenecks and improve service delivery.
“As the Minister responsible for Health, Dr Stephen Modise provides leadership and facilitation required for the Ministry to deliver on its mandate,” Nyanga stated.
“The Minister’s hands-on approach, therefore, is intended solely to resolve systemic bottlenecks and accelerate service delivery for the benefit of the public.”
But the growing governance concerns come as Botswana’s public healthcare system continues to battle one of its worst medicine shortage crises in recent years.
When Dr Modise entered office under the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) government, he promised sweeping reforms, including universal health coverage and long-term plans for a National Health Insurance scheme.
Nearly two years later, however, criticism is mounting over what many see as a widening gap between promises and delivery.
At the peak of the crisis in August 2025, essential medicine availability reportedly collapsed to just 17 per cent nationwide. By October, the Ministry claimed emergency procurement interventions had pushed availability to around 36 per cent following the declaration of a national health emergency.
Now, the Ministry says the situation is improving, although shortages persist across parts of the country.
According to Nyanga, as of March 2026, the availability of vital medicines stood at 65 per cent in Primary Hospitals, while essential medicines were at 53 per cent.
District Hospitals reportedly recorded 60 per cent availability for vital medicines and 50 per cent for essential medicines, while Referral Hospitals stood at 64 per cent and 62 per cent respectively.
Nyanga said more than 170 medicine consignments are expected in the coming weeks as supply chains stabilise.
“The medicines' availability is not optimal yet, but it is slowly improving as we get more of the long-term consignments arriving,” he said.
The Ministry says it has adopted direct procurement measures and integrated international humanitarian aggregators into the supply chain in an effort to stabilise medicine availability and reduce costs.
Officials also say Botswana is pursuing long-term plans to position itself as a regional pharmaceutical manufacturing and supply hub.
Still, the Ministry admitted it could not provide a clear timeline for when a stable medicine supply would be fully restored nationwide.
Although the government insists the system is recovering, frustration continues to grow among patients, healthcare workers and labour unions.
Earlier this year, the “5+1” Cooperating Trade Unions accused the public health system of having “plunged into crisis” under Dr Modise’s leadership and called for his removal.
The Ministry continues to argue that many of the problems are inherited and structural, pointing to years of procurement weaknesses, funding pressures and inefficiencies within the healthcare system.
But with allegations of internal turmoil now surfacing alongside ongoing service delivery failures, pressure on Dr Modise’s leadership appears to be intensifying.