Facebook Feed

  • TDR 1000 returns February 3, 2023
    The Dakar Rally, considered as one of the toughest in many years, is now something of the past and South African Rally-Raid competitors proved their talent while local race vehicle manufacturers and constructors showed their worth and returned from […]
  • Orange splashes P15.4m on FA CupFebruary 3, 2023
    NANCY RAMOKHUA editors@thepatriot.co.bw Orange Botswana through the Orange FA Cup has renewed its sponsorship with Botswana Football Association (BFA) for an additional three seasons valued at P5 138 000 00, an investment increase of 17%. The renewed collaboration will […]
  • Sefalana posts P4.9 billion revenueFebruary 2, 2023
    BAKANG TIRO editors@thepatriot.co.bw Diversified retail giant Sefalana has posted impressive set of results for the half year period ended 30 October, with the company recording P4.5 billion in total revenue. Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) listed home grown retailer released […]
  • BSB lists P1 billion bondFebruary 2, 2023
    NANCY RAMOKHUA editors@thepatriot.co.bw Botswana Savings Bank (BSB) has listed a bond worth P1 billion with the Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE). The bond note programme will give BSB access to capital and provide alternative funding, reducing dependency on short- term […]
  • Botswana, OPEC seal P1.2 billion loan dealFebruary 2, 2023
    BAKANG TIRO editors@thepatriot.co.bw The Minister of Finance Peggy Serame is highly confident that the P1.2 billion loan that Botswana has secured from the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries Fund for the International Development Fund (OPEC) will boost the country’s […]
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Disclaimer
  • Contact Us
  • Login
  • Register
Saturday, February 4, 2023
17 °c
Gaborone
21 ° Tue
22 ° Wed
24 ° Thu
26 ° Fri
The Patriot On Sunday
Advertisement
  • Home
  • News
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport
  • Analysis & Opinions
  • Vacancies & Tenders
No Result
View All Result
Cart / $0.00

No products in the cart.

  • Home
  • News
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport
  • Analysis & Opinions
  • Vacancies & Tenders
No Result
View All Result
The Patriot On Sunday
No Result
View All Result
Home News

DIS after company Directors

patriot by patriot
January 20, 2022
in News
242 10
0
DIS after company Directors

Magosi

491
SHARES
1.4k
VIEWS
ShareShareShare

Introduce new vetting rules for Board of Directors

New form requires private, personal information

‘It borders on invasion of privacy. Such declaration exposes family members to victimisation’ -CEO

‘It has potential to discourage talented board members’ -expert

STAFF WRITERS

editors@thepatriot.co.bw

The Directorate of Intelligence and Security Services (DIS) have introduced a new form to be used for vetting would-be Directors nominated for appointment to Board of Directors of private companies and state owned entities (parastatals), The Patriot on Sunday has learnt.

There are complaints that the questions on the form are intrusive and therefore amount to invasion of privacy of the affected individuals as they require personal information about parents, relatives etc. Hence, there are growing fears in the corporate world that the new vetting form/ process is being introduced to (1) target some individuals and block them from joining some Board of Directors to which they have been nominated,  particularly in State owned Entities (parastatals), (2) to discourage would-be Directors who may not want to disclose personal and private information about their family members fearing invasion of privacy by DIS, who can use the information shared for any other sinister motives.

The Patriot on Sunday can confirm that one of the regulators of the financial services sector, the Non bank Financial Institutions Regulatory Authority (NBFIRA) has already started using the new DIS vetting form and late last year asked individuals nominated for Directorship in private companies to fill it.

An expert in Public Administration, Dithapelo Keorapetse who is the Chairman of a parliamentary committee that probes public accounts of government departments, ministries and their subsidiary parastatals or state owned entities (the Public Accounts Committee) said there is no doubt that the DIS has not operated within democratic ethos, hasn’t respected human rights and that it has not operated within the law. “It has meddled in big tenders to rig the whole system. So, the development on vetting which requires sensitive private information is another scheme to centralize more power in the DIS and the state. The state has no business in meddling to that extent in private enterprise. Whilst Corporate governance principles require that board members be ethical persons of integrity, this is no excuse to get private information for other objectives. The requirements should be rescinded; they’re potentially illegal and unconstitutional. They are unreasonable. If the police have cleared a person as a non offender and they’re competent to serve, then there’s no point for further information especially sought by the DIS,” blasted Keorapetse.

Keorapetse holds a Masters degree in Public Administration, and a Bachelor of Arts degree- (Social Science) majoring in Political Science and Public Administration both obtained from the University of Botswana where he is a lecturer. He is currently a PhD student with Wits School of Governance, South Africa. Keorapetse has worked as a resource person for Botswana Defence Force Command and Staff College and Botswana Police College. He is currently the Member of Parliament for Selebi Phikwe West since October 2014.

Commenting on condition of anonymity for fear of victimisation, a Board Chairman of a SoE said such intrusive requirements are counterproductive and invasive. He said it does not make sense to seek personal and private information from nominated individuals who are not under any kind of investigation by any state agency, let alone the DIS itself. “What are they doing with information about who people are related to and what they do in their private space? Does this mean they can disqualify a nominated Board member simply because they are related to someone with a criminal record or has been implicated in some investigation elsewhere? It is ridiculous, any vetting should focus primarily on the character and suitability (qualification) of the individual whose name has been submitted for the process,” he said. 

Related

Get real time update about this post categories directly on your device, subscribe now.

Unsubscribe
  • TDR 1000 returns February 3, 2023
    The Dakar Rally, considered as one of the toughest in many years, is now something of the past and South African Rally-Raid competitors proved their talent while local race vehicle manufacturers and constructors showed their worth and returned from […]
  • Orange splashes P15.4m on FA CupFebruary 3, 2023
    NANCY RAMOKHUA editors@thepatriot.co.bw Orange Botswana through the Orange FA Cup has renewed its sponsorship with Botswana Football Association (BFA) for an additional three seasons valued at P5 138 000 00, an investment increase of 17%. The renewed collaboration will […]
  • Sefalana posts P4.9 billion revenueFebruary 2, 2023
    BAKANG TIRO editors@thepatriot.co.bw Diversified retail giant Sefalana has posted impressive set of results for the half year period ended 30 October, with the company recording P4.5 billion in total revenue. Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) listed home grown retailer released […]
  • BSB lists P1 billion bondFebruary 2, 2023
    NANCY RAMOKHUA editors@thepatriot.co.bw Botswana Savings Bank (BSB) has listed a bond worth P1 billion with the Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE). The bond note programme will give BSB access to capital and provide alternative funding, reducing dependency on short- term […]
  • Botswana, OPEC seal P1.2 billion loan dealFebruary 2, 2023
    BAKANG TIRO editors@thepatriot.co.bw The Minister of Finance Peggy Serame is highly confident that the P1.2 billion loan that Botswana has secured from the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries Fund for the International Development Fund (OPEC) will boost the country’s […]
The Patriot On Sunday

© 2022 Copyright The Patriot On Sunday - Inspired by Search Mart.

Navigate Site

  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Disclaimer
  • Contact Us

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • Sign Up
  • Cart
  • Home
  • News
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport
  • Analysis & Opinions
  • Vacancies & Tenders

© 2022 Copyright The Patriot On Sunday - Inspired by Search Mart.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.
Are you sure want to unlock this post?
Unlock left : 0
Are you sure want to cancel subscription?