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Will Botswana and SA slay the graft dragon?

Tuesday February 26 2019
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Presidents Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa (left) and Mokgweetsi Masisi of Botswana. FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

By PETER DUBE

In 2018, winds of change ushered in new leadership in both Botswana and South Africa, albeit, in contrasting styles. Botswana recorded another peaceful transfer of power, when Ian Khama stepped down after completing his mandatory 10-year term, to hand over to his deputy Mokgweetsi Masisi.

At Mahlamba Ndlopfu, the official residence of the South African president, circumstances were different. President Jacob Zuma bowed to pressure from the ruling African National Congress (ANC), amid concerns that corruption had reached alarming proportions, under Msholozi’s near-decade rule. Graft within and outside public institutions had reached alarming levels, and Mr Zuma was forced out of office last February.

Ongoing investigations into State Capture have already turned up worrying information. Just under 10,000 invoices reveal how South Africa’s facilities management company Bosasa spread its tentacles into every corner of the state, pocketing more than $870 million (R12bn) in 15 years. It also emerged during the ongoing State Capture Inquiry how Bosasa milked close to 40 national and provincial government departments in payments worth millions of dollars.

The story, to a lesser, but still damaging, echoes what is obtaining across the border in Botswana.

The elections

And now, the wheels of justice to eradicate corruption, have started to turn in both countries. Both presidents Masisi and Cyril Ramaphosa have publicly spoken of their zero tolerance for corruption.

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Widely-travelled political analyst Sifiso Gift Mahlangu describes the approach by the new leaders as ‘great public relations’.

“It’s just a mantra,” he says, adding that the two leaders were “merely politicking”.

“They were both deputy presidents when this corruption was happening. Obviously, it’s convenient for them now ahead of the elections to say they are cleaning up, but we know it’s just an election strategy,” Mr Mahlangu said.

Botswana, under Mr Khama, saw growing concerns that a few powerful individuals were benefitting from the abuse of the public funds. It recently came to the fore that the country had lost more than $23 million (P300m), after Botswana's National

Petroleum Fund was siphoned, in one of the country's biggest financial scandals. It was discovered in 2017, that while the country thought it had secure fuel funds, the coffers were empty, with reports that several high profile politicians had their hands in the cookie jar. Former intelligence chief Isaac Kgosi, a Khama right hand man, was recently arrested for tax evasion, while the leader of the opposition Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), Mr Duma Boko, also faces a similar probe. Mr Kgosi felt the move was meant to embarrass him, and he denies any wrong doing.

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Botswana’s former President Ian Khama. FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

President Masisi, who took over from Mr Khama on April 1, 2018, has said his government would not hesitate to arrest criminals involved in corrupt activities. He denies that the move was targeting political opponents, as internal fighting heightens within his ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP).

“We are not trying to go after anybody. It is imperative we demonstrate good faith to our electorates. We should prove to them that we are not corrupt, and we would not entertain corruption. We had to deal with corruption and had to start somewhere,” he said during a recent party retreat.

The Masisi-administration is in the process of introducing a law, which requires public servants to declare their assets.

“Further to our continued efforts to intensify the fight against corruption, the Government also plans to present the Bill on the Declaration of Assets and Liabilities to Parliament at its July/August meeting. Once adopted, the law will require certain categories of public employees to declare their assets and liabilities. This will ensure transparency as well as promote integrity in the public service,” Botswana's Finance and Economic Development minister, said when he delivered his 2019 budget speech in Gaborone recently.

In an unprecedented move, President Ramaphosa recently transferred $35,000 (R500,000) into an attorneys trust account in an effort to repay a dubious donation from Bosasa boss Gavin Watson given towards his presidential campaign.

Political battles

He said the decision was made following “various concerning disclosures” before the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into State Capture.

Across the Tlokweng border, the opposition leader, Mr Boko, who was recently raided by the Botswana Unified Revenue Services (BURS) on suspicion of tax evasion, said he supports the fight against corruption, as long as it is not used to settle political scores. His party has recently raised concern that state apparatus were being used to advance party interests.

“I encourage the tax and other authorities to do their work without any fear or favour and to ensure that they do not lend themselves to undue dictation and manipulation in the execution of their mandate,” said Mr Boko, who, in the last parliament sitting, presented a motion of no confidence on President Masisi, which however, failed.

BDP chairperson of Communications and International Relations Kagelelo Kentse denied allegations that they were fighting political battles using state machinery.

“The BDP fundamentally believes in people’s freedoms and we are led by law abiding citizens, therefore its applications cannot be biased towards certain individuals,” he said.

Cape Town-based political analyst Mandla Mzimela believes the two presidents, whose predecessors were seemingly lenient towards corrupt officials, were out to make a statement.

“They are both faced with an electorate tired of corruption. Quite interesting, both leaders don’t see eye to eye with their former bosses, perhaps because of the way the two former leaders ran their respective countries,” Mr Mzimela said.

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South African former President Jacob Zuma. FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

He, however, is convinced some of the graft fights were politically-motivated.

“In Cyril’s case, he doesn't have numbers within his party structures to get rid of Zuma’s cohorts loathed by the public because of corruption allegations, and the only way to get rid of them is the ongoing corruption investigations and the arrests. The SARS Commissioner Tom Moyane, Minister of Home Affairs Malusi Gigaba and the NPA (National Prosecuting Authority) head Shaun Abrahams, all seen as Zuma’s men, have been eliminated, thanks to the corruption allegations,” he added.

Interestingly, in 2007, the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) began investigating Bosasa after a series of lucrative tenders were awarded to the company by the department of Correctional Services.

Recommendations were made then for arrests to be made and Mr Mzimela questions the timing of the recent arrests of four people implicated in the Bosasa scandal.

“The arrest by the Hawks is the first action taken by the authorities since the completion of the report in 2009, nearly a decade ago. One would wonder why this is only happening now,” Mr Mzimela said.

President Ramaphosa has taken it a step further, announcing his decision to establish a directorate within the National Prosecuting Authority aimed at dealing with systematic corruption, including explosive evidence presented before the ongoing Commission of Inquiry.

All strategies

Ten years after the Scorpions (independent multidisciplinary agency) were disbanded, during his State of Nation Address recently, President Ramaphosa said there was an urgent need for a directorate which would identify priority cases to investigate and recover assets thought to be from dubious activities.

Political analyst Levy Ndou applauded the South African leader on the move, saying it reflects the ANC’s commitment to fighting corruption and holding those implicated accountable.

“One of the government’s priorities is to fight against corruption and if one would explain the presidency of Ramaphosa since last year February, you’d hear him saying that he needs to develop all strategies to fight against corruption.

“There was a huge outcry when the Scorpions were disbanded and there is an alarming rate of corruption in South Africa. My view is that this should be seen as a commitment on the part of the president to ensure that they are able to fight corruption at all costs,” said Mr Ndou.

It remains to be seen whether the ongoing corruption fights will sway voters in the two southern African countries to keep their respective ruling parties in power later this year.

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