…also affirms that a forensic audit will be undertaken to detect corruption

President Duma Boko has recently apologised to the residents of Selebi Phikwe and surrounding areas for the previous government’s decision to shut down the BCL mine.

Government closed the BCL mine in October 2016 after the company made losses for several years leaving over 5,000 people unemployed.

In a somber and moving speech during the International Anti-Corruption Day Boko held in Selebi Phikwe last week said the decision taken inflicted pain and anguish on the people of the area. “We must acknowledge the pain and anguish of the people of this town which we must speak about and remember. I acknowledge the pain and anguish is a source of shame,” the president said.

Boko then apologised, “let me offer my sincerest apologies, personally and on behalf of the present government, to the people of this town and of the country.”

On corruption, Boko reiterating his remarks in State of the Nation Address (SONA has reassured that a forensic audit of all government institutions is to commence soon and will be conducted by an independent, reputable and internationally accredited entity.

The president has ruled out instituting a presidential commission of enquiry to probe and examine the levels of corruption and the actual state of the country’s financial situation.

He said the enquiry would be a sheer waste of time, resources and a misguided approach.

Boko complained that the country is marred with staggering levels of corruption adding that leaders had dismally failed the people as they are languishing in poverty and unhappy. “Our people are an unhappy nation of unemployed young people. A nation marred and defined by staggering levels of corruption.,” said Boko.

He added that the country is also faced with astonishing loss of resources of the nation which should go to transforming the lives of our people. The president has since called on leaders to own up and be brutally honest of their failings as government and leaders.

“Thirty years down the line, since DCEC was formed, we have not managed to contain, reduce or manage corruption. We seem nowhere near to reducing, containing and eliminating corruption,” he complained.

President Boko attributed the dismal failure to leaders being involved in corruption and normalising it. Secondly, to weak legislation which he referred to as tepid piece of legislation which cannot tackle the kind of corruption in Botswana.

Thirdly, he stated that current institutions such as DCEC are not suited and tailored to tackle the nature of corruption faced by the country today.” Our institutions are dysfunctional and need to be reimagined, so we jolt ourselves out of complacency. In order to robustly tackle, contain and eliminate corruption.”

In closing he challenged youth in Botswana to “pull up” and enlist in the fight against corruption and the quest for integrity.