MoH cuts ties with Thuso Rehab Centre

● MoH dumps Thuso Rehab over fraud, embezzlement ● Board, management diverted funds for personal gain

Mismanagement of funds, fraud, embezzlement of cash and maladministration have led to government terminating one of Botswana’s revered rehabilitation centres for people living with disabilities. Assistant Minister of Health, Sethomo Lelatisitswe on Friday rubbished claims that his ministry terminated its relationship with the Maun-based Thuso Rehabilitation Centre because it (the Ministry) preferred an appointment of a foreign national director over a local who was appointed by the Board of Governors of the non-governmental organisation.

Speaking in Parliament on Friday, Lelatisitswe said the Botswana government and Thuso Rehabilitation Centre’s official relationship was terminated on June 8, 2022. He said the referred foreign national director was appointed the Acting Director by the centre’s Board after the departure of the former director. To fill the position, he said a recruitment process was initiated whereby the acting director emerged as the successful candidate. He said the panel recommended his appointment which was later turned down by the Board despite their participation in the recruitment process.

“It was unprocedural for the board to appoint a candidate of their choice. The Grant Agreement requires that the centre should assemble the best-qualified team of competent professionals to fill all key positions of the centre. It also requires the centre to consult and collaborate with the Ministry Management for the recruitment of key and support personnel.

However, the appointment at Thuso Rehabilitation Centre did not follow any criteria which seeks to vet the qualifications of appointed persons as well as allow for fair competition.

The centre, through its Board Chairperson, willfully violated laid-out recruitment protocols by refusing to employ against the recommendations of the District Commissioner’s independent adjudication panel and advice from the ministry.

Thuso remains the only centre that refused to implement the recommendations of the interview panel,” he said, adding that it had been observed that this practice is the source of mismanagement and financial loss for government.

Lelatisitswe told the house that the ministry, representing the government of Botswana, terminated funding for the centre due to several factors, dating as far back as 2016, including; failure to comply with the terms and conditions of the Grant Agreement, e.g. non-compliance to financial and administrative regulations and procedures such as submission of quarterly expenditure reports, end of year audit reports, bank statements and signatories; observations of mismanagement of funds, fraud, embezzlement of cash, and maladministration.

Owing to this, the centre had its funding suspended from June 2016 to December 2020; The audited financial statements submitted to the ministry indicated that the centre’s Board of Directors and Executive Director requested funds from the ministry for purposes of the smooth running of the school but rather diverted them for personal gain. Nonetheless, the ministry continued to pay for the day-to-day operations of the centre whilst monitoring it closely and trying to assist the centre to comply.

“Notwithstanding, the ministry reinstated the funding for the centre effective January 1, 2021. The centre committed to putting corrective measures in place to address queries raised by the ministry. Once the funding was re-instated, the centre reverted to its old ways of mismanagement of funds and maladministration of the centre,” he said.

Ngami legislator, Cater Hikuama had asked the Minister of Health to explain the relationship between the centre and the government of Botswana.

He also wanted the minister to further confirm whether government has recently parted ways with the NGO because the ministry preferred an appointment of a foreign national director over a local who was appointed by the Board of Governors and whether Thuso Rehabilitation Centre services and staff were forcefully transferred by the Botswana government to a new facility without the blessing of the management.

Following Lelatisitswe’s response, Hikuama was joined by Maun East legislator Goretetse Kekgonegile in asking the minister why they cannot mend relations considering the importance of the centre to the public. Lelatisitswe maintained that the centre was out of the way and there was no way government could continue pumping money into it.

Thuso Rehabilitation Centre is a training institution for people living with disabilities in Maun.

The centre offers services that include occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech and language therapy, orthopaedic services, rehabilitation, and family and HIV counselling.