Boko warned against meddling in procurement

President Advocate Duma Boko’s stand of spearheading direct appointment for some projects has sparked mixed reactions across the public and business community, a development which political observers and some members of his party Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) label as very suicidal. The new UDC government is fast at work implementing some major development projects cutting across different sectors of the economy. Observers are questioning how tenders are being awarded, warning that direct appointment by government ministries was tantamount to aiding corruption and denying competitive bidding. 

Addressing Kgotla meeting in Lerala last week, Boko justified the need for direct appointment in some tenders saying constant litigation in competitive bidding was delaying the implementation of projects. 

He said he would use his presidential powers to award jobs as opposed to following established competitive bidding process determined by Public Regulatory Authority (PPRA). 

This development according to insiders in the government is not sitting well with the local business community particularly in the construction industry after government decided to award the 3 000 Bonno Housing Project to a Namibian company, Ongos Valley. 

Some UDC Members of Parliament (MPs) have expressed dissatisfaction over direct appointments of tenders favouring expatriate companies, saying that will result in voters’ backlash against the government. 

While Boko was in Lerala, his Vice President Ndaba Gaolathe was launching the new 2024-28 strategy for PPRA where he committed to ensuring transparency and inclusive public procurement – a pronouncement that is exactly opposite of his leader declared. 

Gaolathe said at the core of PPRA strategy lies a powerful proposition. “Doing Things Right. Not just doing things, but doing them right, the first time, every time. The strategic plan ’s core goal is to establish a “sustainable and inclusive public procurement system.” 

Gaolathe said there is a need for a system anchored in transparency, equity, fairness, service excellence, innovation and high impact and a system where compliance is not an aspiration but a minimum requirement. 

Curse 

Political science lecturer at University of Botswana (UB), Dr Adam Mfundisi said the genesis of what is unfolding is the British crafted Constitution for Botswana which provided intensive and extensive powers to an unelected Executive, in particular the President. Dr Mfundisi said as the adage says, “power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely’, we are seeing the arrays of that in the behaviour of the executive”. Dr Mfundisi has observed that some political statements of President Boko are worrisome in that he is following the footsteps of former president Mokgweetsi Masisi who interfered in the procurement of goods and services through OP’s direct appointment of providers of products or services to the Botswana government. 

According to him, both competitive and direct appointment of vendors have pros and cons and therefore require judicious examination, adding that the award of a Namibian company in a national project is unfortunate and concerning. “We have local companies that can deliver 3000 houses as required, probably at lower costs even. Employment creation should be the priority of this UDC regime, and this should be done through citizen empowerment policies. The Dubai Audit firm, too, without competitive bidding triggers suspicion and calls into question the issue of ethics and accountability of government,” said Dr Mfundisi. 

Dr Mfundisi said allegations of corruption and maladministration will affect the fortunes of the UDC, advising that it should move away from the BDP behaviour in public procurement of goods and services. 

BCP 

Botswana Congress Party’s (BCP) shadow minister of Transport and Infrastructure Kgoberego Nkawana said Batswana had been overlooked on the construction of Bonno housing project. 

Nkawana, who is the MP for Selebi Phikwe East, said the BCP hasn’t no problem with Boko awarding tenders on direct appointment as the law permits that but he should desist from overdoing it. “We are talking about a foreign company that would repatriate the money back to Namibia. We are also yet to inform ourselves if this company would be bringing its own labour or will prioritise Batswana for the employment opportunities. On our view is that this contractor’s appointment was rushed,” said Nkawana. Nkawana said the country is currently battling economic hardships because in the past under the BDP administration big construction projects were awarded to Asian companies which later on repatriated billions of Pula back to their countries living the country with less benefits in the form of tax revenue.