* Botswana’s Corruption Perception Index (CPI) score declined in the last five years
The Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC) has experienced many challenges, which have regrettably jeopardised Botswana’s global corruption and governance ratings as well as progress in reducing the levels of corruption.
The agency’s Director General, Botlhale Makgekgenene says they are therefore going to be deliberate and intentional about strengthening their anti-corruption frameworks.
This includes improving the coordination of Anti-Corruption Units in the various ministries, to ensure that “we are able to contribute more meaningfully” to good governance. Makgekgenene revealed
that a notable trend in corruption cases, relates to procurement in the construction industry.
According to the Director General the Directorate has observed a surge in reports concerning corruption in high-value infrastructure projects, particularly within public institutions.
“These reports indicate instances where evaluation teams collude with contractors, manipulating bidding timelines and tender processes to favour undeserving bidders.
“Procurement remains one of the most corruption-prone areas, with Local Authorities across the country being particularly affected,” Makgekgenene said at a strategic engagement with the State
President Minister, Moeti Mohwasa. She said the lack of stringent oversight and transparency in procurement processes continues to facilitate fraudulent activities that compromise the quality and cost-effectiveness of Government-funded projects.
Another area of concern is land-related corruption, exacerbated by rising land values due to uncontrolled market pricing.
“This trend has created opportunities for money laundering, as proceeds from corrupt dealings are funnelled into land acquisitions to legitimise illicit gains.
“Poor records management and data collection remain a significant challenge in the fight against corruption.
“Inadequate documentation and inconsistent data collection practices across the public sector continue to hinder investigations, audits, and overall accountability efforts.”
The Director General told the meeting that the lack of structured and digitised record-keeping systems has led to delays in managing crucial information, creating loopholes that enable corruption and maladministration.
Weak document control also affects the investigations, she said, adding that without robust records management and reliable data collection, corruption risks will persist, undermining governance, service delivery, and public trust.
Makgekgenene stated that strengthening these areas across the public sector will significantly enhance the Directorate’s ability to prevent, detect, and investigate corruption effectively.
“Looking ahead, we envision and are redesigning the DCEC into a fully-independent, modernised and well-resourced institution capable of tackling corruption decisively”.
She said despite the challenges the DCEC faces such as resource constraints which affect investigations, training, public outreach and operational efficiency - transitioning the DCEC to be fully-independent remains a priority, and is vital if “we are to be effective and sincere in our mission to eradicate corruption.”
Makgekgenene told the meeting that it is a known fact that Botswana once hailed as the least corrupt country in Africa has seen a steady decline in her ratings and has been categorised as “steadily deteriorating”.
“We have witnessed a decline in Botswana’s Corruption Perception Index (CPI) score in the last five years. In particular, our rating dropped from 60 to 59 in 2023 compared to the previous year.
“While this decline reflects global trends, it is imperative that we intensify local efforts to reverse this downward trajectory and improve our international standing”, she said. She explained that despite
significant progress worldwide in criminalising corruption and establishing specialised institutions to combat it, corruption levels have remained stagnant globally.
She indicated that the DCEC is charged with executing a very critical mandate that affects and/or impacts every facet of the society.
“This is why it is always a topical issue in the media and in our everyday lives”, she added.
The agency’s Director General, Botlhale Makgekgenene says they are therefore going to be deliberate and intentional about strengthening their anti-corruption frameworks.
This includes improving the coordination of Anti-Corruption Units in the various ministries, to ensure that “we are able to contribute more meaningfully” to good governance. Makgekgenene revealed
that a notable trend in corruption cases, relates to procurement in the construction industry.
According to the Director General the Directorate has observed a surge in reports concerning corruption in high-value infrastructure projects, particularly within public institutions.
“These reports indicate instances where evaluation teams collude with contractors, manipulating bidding timelines and tender processes to favour undeserving bidders.
“Procurement remains one of the most corruption-prone areas, with Local Authorities across the country being particularly affected,” Makgekgenene said at a strategic engagement with the State
President Minister, Moeti Mohwasa. She said the lack of stringent oversight and transparency in procurement processes continues to facilitate fraudulent activities that compromise the quality and cost-effectiveness of Government-funded projects.
Another area of concern is land-related corruption, exacerbated by rising land values due to uncontrolled market pricing.
“This trend has created opportunities for money laundering, as proceeds from corrupt dealings are funnelled into land acquisitions to legitimise illicit gains.
“Poor records management and data collection remain a significant challenge in the fight against corruption.
“Inadequate documentation and inconsistent data collection practices across the public sector continue to hinder investigations, audits, and overall accountability efforts.”
The Director General told the meeting that the lack of structured and digitised record-keeping systems has led to delays in managing crucial information, creating loopholes that enable corruption and maladministration.
Weak document control also affects the investigations, she said, adding that without robust records management and reliable data collection, corruption risks will persist, undermining governance, service delivery, and public trust.
Makgekgenene stated that strengthening these areas across the public sector will significantly enhance the Directorate’s ability to prevent, detect, and investigate corruption effectively.
“Looking ahead, we envision and are redesigning the DCEC into a fully-independent, modernised and well-resourced institution capable of tackling corruption decisively”.
She said despite the challenges the DCEC faces such as resource constraints which affect investigations, training, public outreach and operational efficiency - transitioning the DCEC to be fully-independent remains a priority, and is vital if “we are to be effective and sincere in our mission to eradicate corruption.”
Makgekgenene told the meeting that it is a known fact that Botswana once hailed as the least corrupt country in Africa has seen a steady decline in her ratings and has been categorised as “steadily deteriorating”.
“We have witnessed a decline in Botswana’s Corruption Perception Index (CPI) score in the last five years. In particular, our rating dropped from 60 to 59 in 2023 compared to the previous year.
“While this decline reflects global trends, it is imperative that we intensify local efforts to reverse this downward trajectory and improve our international standing”, she said. She explained that despite
significant progress worldwide in criminalising corruption and establishing specialised institutions to combat it, corruption levels have remained stagnant globally.
She indicated that the DCEC is charged with executing a very critical mandate that affects and/or impacts every facet of the society.
“This is why it is always a topical issue in the media and in our everyday lives”, she added.
