Leader of Opposition, Dithapelo Keorapetse says the meddling of the Directorate of Intelligence and Security (DIS) in tenders in the last five years has been unprecedented.
He said DISS does security clearance and has used this to interfere in the government procurement system. Keorapetse indicated that the DISS wrote a letter to Executive Chairman of the PPADB on the 7 September 2021 to report on their investigation of the Mogoditshane-Gabane-Mmankgodi Junction Road Tender No:WOR 7/17/9 (1). This tender, he said, never took off and the company which topped the bid was never awarded despite
disagreements by the PPADB about the attempt to interfere with the award of this tender.
Keorapetse, who is also MP for Selibe Phikwe West, stated that the PSP through a Savingram dated 23 November 2021, was clear on that DIS investigation by anybody ought not to delay the project. “The taxpayers will pay heftily in price escalation as a result of the delay in implementation of the project. Because of the DIS meddling, a company was paid P100 million plus after it was elbowed out of a water project tender for frivolous claims that it was a threat to national security. The company and its directors are domiciled in Botswana and have never been charged for any wrongdoing related to national security,” said Keorapetse when responding to the state of the nation address delivered by President Mokgweetsi Masisi.
According to Keorapetse, the company which took over the project is more expensive than the previous one by about P200 million. As a result a Motswana taxpayer will or has paid a total of close to P300 million extra because of the DIS, he added. Citing the BTI 2022 Country Report: "Botswana’s powerful executive presidency has continued to dominate the country’s overly weak parliament. The power of elected representatives was further undermined by President Masisi’s declaration of a state of public emergency in order to control COVID-19. Democratic deficit in Parliament is at all-time low. For the first time we have majority opposition parties not being part of Parliamentary Committees.”
Keorapetse told Parliament that some international observers and visitors have been shocked by these developments. He stated that under Masisi, Botswana cannot fully participate and vote at Pan African Parliament because there is no woman MP representing the country after the rejection of an Assistant Minister by the continental body.
Keorapetse added that this is due to unceremonious dismissal of Kgosi Mosadi Seboko from PAP. "A sole non-executive female MP was removed from ACP-EU and is currently not part of any inter-parliamentary body whilst three Assistant Ministers are members of these bodies. Some ruling party MPs serve in more than one inter-parliamentary bodies, whilst some opposition MPs are not members of these bodies and in fact some parties are not at all represented in some of these bodies. This was never the case in previous administrations.”
The legislator stated that BTI 2022 Country Report further states that although President Masisi pledged to revive the Public Service Bargaining Council (PSBC) after assuming office in April 2018, this pledge has yet to be realised. Keorapetse further indicated that in October 2020, the Botswana Federation of Public, Private and Parastatal Sector Unions (BOFEPUSU) claimed that the country faced, “a leadership vacuum” due to the government’s failure to restore the PSBC.
He said DISS does security clearance and has used this to interfere in the government procurement system. Keorapetse indicated that the DISS wrote a letter to Executive Chairman of the PPADB on the 7 September 2021 to report on their investigation of the Mogoditshane-Gabane-Mmankgodi Junction Road Tender No:WOR 7/17/9 (1). This tender, he said, never took off and the company which topped the bid was never awarded despite
disagreements by the PPADB about the attempt to interfere with the award of this tender.
Keorapetse, who is also MP for Selibe Phikwe West, stated that the PSP through a Savingram dated 23 November 2021, was clear on that DIS investigation by anybody ought not to delay the project. “The taxpayers will pay heftily in price escalation as a result of the delay in implementation of the project. Because of the DIS meddling, a company was paid P100 million plus after it was elbowed out of a water project tender for frivolous claims that it was a threat to national security. The company and its directors are domiciled in Botswana and have never been charged for any wrongdoing related to national security,” said Keorapetse when responding to the state of the nation address delivered by President Mokgweetsi Masisi.
According to Keorapetse, the company which took over the project is more expensive than the previous one by about P200 million. As a result a Motswana taxpayer will or has paid a total of close to P300 million extra because of the DIS, he added. Citing the BTI 2022 Country Report: "Botswana’s powerful executive presidency has continued to dominate the country’s overly weak parliament. The power of elected representatives was further undermined by President Masisi’s declaration of a state of public emergency in order to control COVID-19. Democratic deficit in Parliament is at all-time low. For the first time we have majority opposition parties not being part of Parliamentary Committees.”
Keorapetse told Parliament that some international observers and visitors have been shocked by these developments. He stated that under Masisi, Botswana cannot fully participate and vote at Pan African Parliament because there is no woman MP representing the country after the rejection of an Assistant Minister by the continental body.
Keorapetse added that this is due to unceremonious dismissal of Kgosi Mosadi Seboko from PAP. "A sole non-executive female MP was removed from ACP-EU and is currently not part of any inter-parliamentary body whilst three Assistant Ministers are members of these bodies. Some ruling party MPs serve in more than one inter-parliamentary bodies, whilst some opposition MPs are not members of these bodies and in fact some parties are not at all represented in some of these bodies. This was never the case in previous administrations.”
The legislator stated that BTI 2022 Country Report further states that although President Masisi pledged to revive the Public Service Bargaining Council (PSBC) after assuming office in April 2018, this pledge has yet to be realised. Keorapetse further indicated that in October 2020, the Botswana Federation of Public, Private and Parastatal Sector Unions (BOFEPUSU) claimed that the country faced, “a leadership vacuum” due to the government’s failure to restore the PSBC.
