BMC on autopilot
Agric Ministry spurns Board’s recommendation for Brian Dioka to act as CEO
Troubled Botswana Meat Commission ( BMC) is an organisation on autopilot after running for two months without a Chief Executive Officer ( CEO).
Botswana Guardian has gathered that no appointment has been made for the position following the end of Dr. Boitumelo Mogome- Maseko’s contract in March this year. This is the status quo even though the parastatal’s Board had recommended a 12- months contract for the current Chief Strategy Officer Brian Dioka to the position.
News reaching this publication indicates that Dioka’s recommendation from the Board might not see the light of day as the position has now been politicised.
The leadership of the country and political leadership at the Ministry of Agricultural Development and Food Security is unsettled with having Dioka heading the poor performing parastatal which has been bleeding the public purse through bailouts.
According to sources, the leadership wants someone from within their circle, as Dioka who has had an illustrious career within BMC having started as a Public Relations and Marketing Officer, is deemed anti the current regime.
Some of the differing views within the Board are also not helping the situation even though Dioka is said to have proved to be suitable for the position when measured against the deliverables set for him for the 12- months period.
BMC has for some time failed to have a substantive CEO with the position only occupied by Acting CEO Dr. Mogome- Maseko for the past two years after having been appointed by the Board chaired by Dr. Thapelo Matsheka, the current Minister of Infrastructure and Housing Development.
Dr. Mogome- Maseko was recently in the media for allegedly having misappropriated BMC funds amounting to close to P2 million. It is feared that if BMC continues to engage CEO on acting basis, it risks sinking the ship further as Acting CEOs have limited powers on decision making. This also has an impact on the parastatal’s strategy.
In a letter dated 4th March 2021 addressed to Agriculture Minister Karabo Gare and copied to then Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture Jimmy Opelo, the BMC Board revealed that in its special meeting held on March 4th 2021 Board of Commissioners’ Chairperson Tshepo Masire was requested to advise office of the minister that for the position of CEO for the BMC which fell vacant on 1st March 2021 as recommended, the Board nominated Dioka for the position.
“That the nomination or recommendation for Dioka as CEO be for a period of 12 months. Dioka is currently employed as Chief Strategy Officer since June 2017. And has also been assigned the role of Acting Board Secretary from April 2019 to date.
“The Board takes the opportunity to express gratitude for the opportunity to apply itself on the captioned and thus looks to your revered office to sustain the nomination,” Masire said in the letter to the minister.
Contacted for comment, Minister Gare said he has no answer at the moment because he is currently on leave. He said he does not know how far the process is and referred this publication to Acting Permanent Secretary Dr. Letlhogile Modisa.
Dr. Modisa who had confirmed receipt of our questionnaire and promised to respond to the questions had not done so at press time.
Besides struggling financially, the commission has also been hit by governance issues. Former Board Chairman Victor Senye surprised many when he dumped the organisation on claims of government’s failure to fix the mess at the parastatal.
Senye, who replaced Dr. Thapelo Matsheka as the BMC Board Chairman in June 2019 after Dr. Matsheka became politically active, resigned less than two years into his tenure. The commission has been failing to honour payments for cattle owners who also complained about low prices by the corporation.