It appears Sankoyo Tshwaragano Management Trust (STMT)’s financial woes are far from over as this publication has also learnt that the trust is drowning in debt due to the two-million-pula tax arrears it had owed the Botswana Unified Revenue Services (BURS).
According to STMT board vice chairman Kenosi Mbwe, the trust has failed to file tax returns for 12 years, spanning from 2012 to 2024. He revealed this in an interview on the sideline of a Kgotla meeting addressed by Maun North Member of Parliament Dumelang Saleshando in Sankoyo on Tuesday.
To mitigate the crisis, the trust then managed to secure 1.5 million pula from its investors, which was used to partially settle the BURS debt. The remaining balance was covered using funds initially intended for old-age pension beneficiaries. “The money we sourced from our investors will be deducted from the funds designated for lease rental payments,” Mbwe revealed.
As a result of these financial strains, the trust has temporarily suspended old-age pension payments since April 2024. While Mbwe assured community members that pension funds have been incorporated into the current financial year’s plan, the delays have left many elderly residents struggling to meet basic needs.
Elderly residents, including Pontsho Ndozi and Doreen Dipuo, shared distressing accounts of the impact of the pension halt. Ndozi revealed that he has been unable to pay his water bills since April 2024, resulting in the disconnection of his water supply by Water Utilities Corporation. Similarly, Dipuo, who also lost access to running water due to unpaid bills, recounted a harrowing encounter with a lion while fetching water from a nearby swamp.
Despite the dire situation, Mbwe remains optimistic, citing a new hunting quota and the imminent renewal of lease agreements as potential financial lifelines. The trust anticipates generating approximately five million pula from these sources, which could help stabilise its operations.
It is not for the first time that STMT has been embroiled in financial scandals as an investigation into its financials conducted early last year revealed troubling fiscal mismanagement, with over two million pula unaccounted for in the last six months of the 2023-2024 financial year.
The extent of the trust’s financial woes only came to light after the board engaged a private auditor to investigate the disappearance of the two million pula from its accounts.
Meanwhile, Saleshando has assured that he will engage with the trust’s board to explore solutions to the current crisis and prevent future financial mismanagement. For her part, the area councilor, Tshabang Paul urged the trust’s leadership to involve her in board meetings as an ex-officio member, stressing the need for better oversight and accountability in decision-making processes.
As the community reels from the consequences of financial mismanagement, pressing questions remain: How did the trust accumulate such massive debts without detection? Will the promised financial strategies be enough to restore stability? And most importantly, will those most affected—the pensioners—receive the support they desperately need? This unfolding financial scandal raises serious concerns about governance, transparency, and accountability within the trust.
