Explosive corruption reveal coming
Some within the BDP might be implicated- Masisi We must obliterate silos of the debilitating corruption
The nation should in no distant future brace itself for an explosive reveal in the corruption circles, President Mokgweetsi Masisi has said.
According to Masisi people have been having it easy, enjoying themselves and this is about to end. He expressed hope that when such a scandalous explosion happens, it will reveal other hidden ones which should also come out in the open.
“The smooth sailing will come to an end. Something big is going to explode. We as Botswana Democratic Party ( BDP) members might find ourselves implicated in that mess. “I do not have a problem with one of us being implicated. But I pray that none of us becomes implicated. If it so happens that anyone of us is implicated, he or she would have to face the wrath of the law. “The person would not be representing the BDP. We even as the BDP will have to ask such a person to excuse us so that he or she could deal and clear their names,” Masisi told a two- day BDP leadership Retreat held at Notwane Farms.
Masisi told party elders, cabinet and backbenchers that the BDP does not tolerate corruption ever since its inception. He said people have been denying corruption allegations against them. The president acknowledged that corruption is rampant in the country. He explained that it is time results show that the ruling party hates corruption in all its manifestations. The president said he has faith that in no time all of this will end as something explosive will occur. According to Masisi he has hinted to his cabinet that he wants the Declaration of Assets and Liabilities Act to be amended. “I want the Declaration of Assets and Liabilities Act to be amended. I want us to include disclosure clause for conflictual matters to be included. This should also be included in the Forms that we fill when declaring,” added Masisi. He revealed that so far, he is happy that his cabinet has not been found to be wanting when it comes to procurement in COVID- 19 related tenders. “I made a threat to my ministers that they should not be involved in COVID- 19 procurement. I am happy that my threats did yield results as no one in my cabinet participated in the COVID- 19 tenders. “Even though at the start we had cases where some of them, their family businesses were involved, they went back and stopped participating after talking to them. “The same happened at council level as I directed that they should not be participating in COVID- 19 Procurement,” revealed Masisi. The president stated that corruption has been a hindrance to the development of the country. He said the country’s economy is currently shrinking like never before. He said the country has never experienced such a shrink in many years which has also been contributed by the COVID- 19 pandemic. “To become a high- income country by 2036 as nationally envisioned, we must attain an average GDP growth rate of 5.7 percent.
“We cannot get there at the 4.3 percent average of the last eight years; and it is all about productivity, innovation, ethics, and a belief system that upholds the decency and integrity of Batswana collectively and individually. “We need to be much more strategic in our budget. We need to remove barriers that block advancement and wealth creation among our people. That means ending the de facto discrimination against our own citizens. We must obliterate silos of the debilitating corruption,” Masisi said.