Category: Sunday Standard

Having spent time in Asset Management Operations, one thing has become very clear; expectations have changed, and they have changed quickly. Clients no longer have the patience for slow turnaround times or opaque processes. They want real-time visibility, faster execution, and a level of service that feels effortless. At the same time, regulation has not eased, if anything, it has become more demanding. Governance, Risk and Compliance expectations continue to grow in both scope and complexity.

The question is not whether firms should prioritise efficiency or control. The real challenge is figuring out how to deliver both consistently.

Operations Has Quietly Become Strategic

Operations used to sit in the background. It was largely process-driven, often manual, and not always seen as a source of competitive advantage. This is no longer the case. Today, Operations sits right at the centre of client experience, regulatory compliance, and business scalability. It is where expectations collide: speed versus accuracy, cost versus control, automation versus oversight.

Clients are not benchmarking us against other asset managers anymore; they are comparing our service to the best digital experience they have had recently. Which changes the bar completely. The pressure is real.

Technology Helped – But Also Exposed Gaps

Most firms have already invested heavily in automation, workflow tools, Robotic Process Automation (RPA), and more recently, Artificial Intelligence (AI). These investments have improved processing speed and reduced manual effort. But they have also surfaced something uncomfortable. Speed is relatively easy to improve in isolation. What is much harder is improving speed without weakening controls or increasing risk.

In some cases, the opposite happens. A process is automated, but then layer on additional approvals, manual overrides, or duplicate checks, often in response to audit findings or regulatory concerns. Before long, we have recreated complexity in a different form. There are some processes which are technically automated but still feel slow because of how many touchpoints sit around them.

The Problem with Layering Controls

Controls rarely get removed; they accumulate. Each audit point, each incident, each regulatory update tends to introduce another control. Individually, they all make sense. Collectively, they can become heavy.

Over time, we end up with multiple reviews of the same data, unnecessary approvals, and manual interventions that do not meaningfully reduce risk anymore. They just slow things down. This is where organisations start to lose the balance they were trying to achieve in the first place.

A Shift Toward Risk-Based Thinking

The firms that seem to be navigating this better are the ones leaning into risk-based approaches. Not every client, transaction, or process carries the same level of risk, so why treat them as if they do? When we start segmenting by risk, things open up. Lower-risk activities can move quickly through automated workflows, while attention is given where it actually matters.

It sounds obvious, but it requires a mindset shift. It means being comfortable with not applying the same level of control everywhere – and having confidence in the framework that supports that decision.

Embedding Controls, Not Adding Them

Another shift is around how controls are applied. In more mature environments, controls are not something that sits around the process; they are built into it. Systems enforce rules automatically, flag exceptions in real time, and prevent errors before they happen rather than detecting them after the fact.

AI is starting to play a role here as well, particularly in areas like anomaly detection, document verification, and transaction monitoring. Used well, it does not remove human judgement; it just changes where that judgement is applied. Instead of reviewing everything, teams can focus on what actually looks unusual or high-risk. This is a much better use of time.

It Still Comes Down to People and Alignment

Technology alone does not solve this. Getting the balance right requires alignment across Investment Operations, Risk and Compliance, and Internal Audit. The Three Lines of Defense model is not new, but in practice, it is often fragmented. When these functions operate in silos, we tend to get tension. Speed on one side, and control on the other. When they work together early in the design of processes, the outcome is very different. We get workflows that are both efficient and defensible from a risk and regulatory standpoint.

Don’t Forget the Client View

It is easy to get caught up in internal priorities, but the client experience is where all of this ultimately shows up. Clients do not see our r control framework; they feel the delays, the repeated requests for information, the lack of transparency when something is stuck. They care about security and compliance, but they also care about responsiveness. If processes become too cumbersome, it starts to erode confidence, even if everything is technically ‘working as designed.’

Where This Is Heading

Operational excellence is no longer about being the most controlled or the most efficient in isolation. It is about how well we integrate both.

The firms that will stand out are the ones that simplify where possible, apply controls intelligently, and use technology in a way that enhances, not complicates, how work gets done. That is not easy, and there is no single blueprint. But it starts with being willing to question existing processes, not just adding to them.

Because in the end, moving faster only creates value if we are still in control, and having strong controls only matters if they don’t stop us from moving.

Botswana Defence Force (BDF) retirees have escalated their long-running pension dispute with government, demanding permission to stage a peaceful march to President Duma Boko’s Office and threatening urgent High Court action if authorities continue to ignore their request.

In a statutory notice and letter of demand dated 4 August 2026 lawyers representing retired soldiers accused the Office of the President of failing to respond for nearly two months to a request to deliver a petition directly to the President over the controversial 1/375 Transfer Value Enhancement pension payments.

The legal notice, addressed to the Permanent Secretary to the President, the Commissioner of Police, the Attorney General and the Ministry for State President, Defence and Security gives government 24 hours to facilitate the march or face litigation. The retirees are represented by Rt Lieutenant General Gaolathe Galebotswe and others who say they have exhausted engagements with the Ministry for State President, Defence and Security without resolving their grievances. According to the letter, the group first requested on 8 June 2026 to present a petition to President Boko on 30 June but says the Office of the President has never acknowledged or acted on the request.

‘Despite the clear and formal request, and the significant period of time that has since elapsed, no response has been received from the Office of the President, no convenient date has been pronounced… and no arrangements whatsoever have been made to facilitate the receipt of the petition,’ the lawyers state.

The former soldiers argue that government’s silence amounts to a failure to uphold constitutional rights guaranteeing freedom of expression, assembly and association.

‘The proposed date of the 30th June 2026 has long passed without any engagement,’ the retirees argue through their lawyers.

They contend that the State has a constitutional obligation to facilitate not frustrate the peaceful exercise of those rights. ‘This duty includes, but is not limited to: Designating a suitable and authorised person within the Office of the President to receive the Petition; Enabling and facilitating a peaceful public procession or march for the purpose of delivering the said Petition and ensuring that the Botswana Police Service provides the necessary escort, security and protection for such peaceful procession.’

‘Our Clients and their Members are entitled, as of right under Section 13 of the Constitution of Botswana, to the protection of their freedom of assembly and association… They are further entitled under Section 12 of the Constitution to freedom of expression… and to petition the Head of State and Commander-in-Chief in respect of their legitimate grievances,’ the letter from Monthe Marumo and Co. letter reads. The lawyers are demanding that the Office of the President designate an authorised official to receive the petition, while the Botswana Police Service is being asked to issue the necessary procession permit and provide police escort for what they insist will be a peaceful march.

The lawyers further demand that the petition be received within seven days of the notice. Failure to comply, they warn, will trigger urgent court proceedings seeking declarations affirming the retirees’ constitutional rights to march and protest, together with court orders compelling the Office of the President to receive the petition and directing police to facilitate the procession.

‘The State… has a corresponding constitutional duty to facilitate, and not to hinder, the peaceful exercise of these fundamental rights,’ the notice states. The legal team says it will also seek costs against the State should the matter proceed to court. The latest development is a fresh escalation in the long-running dispute over the 1/375 Transfer Value Enhancement payments, an issue that has remained a source of discontent among retired military personnel despite months of engagement with government.

Francistown is grappling with a fresh wave of illegal gold mining activities and there are fears that it could be fueled by an influx of Zimbabwean immigrants into the city who are escaping anti-immigrants tensions in South Africa.

Anti-immigration protests and marches targeting undocumented foreign nationals have erupted across major South African cities like Johannesburg, Cape town and Durban led by citizen groups such as March and March and Dudula Operation. Demonstrators are demanding the South African government to deport illegal immigrants and to enforce strict border controls. Some protests have led to violence and intimidation forcing thousands of immigrants from countries such as Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Ghana, Malawi and Mozambique out of that country.The violence and attacks on foreign nationals in South Africa has been widely classified by human rights organizations, the United Nations and international organizations as ‘xenophobic’.

Information reaching the Sunday Standard suggests that police in Francistown have identified fresh illegal mining activities in Francistown and the surrounding villages particularly Matsiloje, Patayamatebele and Matshelagabedi.

Francistown which is a historic gold mining town and its surroundings has over the years experienced illegal gold mining activities mainly from undocumented Zimbabwean nationals targeting old disused shafts. This escalated into a major national security and economic concern. The unregulated miners commonly referred to as ‘Zama Zamas’ similar to the illegal mining syndicates in South Africa use metal detectors and basic tools to extract gold under highly hazardous conditions. Devoid of protective gear, these illegal miners navigate structurally unstable deep shafts which sometimes result in collapse related fatalities.

However several efforts to contact the Officer Commanding No.1 District, Senior Superintendent Paul Chaluza to confirm these allegations last week were unsuccessful as his mobile phone was not answered.

A highly placed source within the law enforcement authorities revealed to the Sunday Standard that they have identified new illegal mining holes in some areas of the city such as Selepa, Matsiloje and Patayamatebele.

‘We are already experiencing an influx of illegal immigrants into the city and we believe that most of them are fleeing from South Africa amid anti-immigrant tensions in that country. Most of them are of Zimbabwean origin and possibilities are high that they are the ones re-igniting a surge in illegal mining activities. Remember South Africa has also been under siege from illegal immigrants engaged in illegal mining popularly known as the ‘Zama Zamas,’ said the source. He however said initially they had been making progress in the fight against illegal mining.

Last year the law enforcement which includes the Botswana Defence Force(BDF) and the Botswana Police Services(BPS) were deployed in the area conducting patrols and made hundreds of arrests. The operation dubbed ‘Operation Kamani’ led to a significant reduction of illegal mining activities.

While anti-migrant tensions increased pressure on foreigners in South Africa, the Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs in Botswana announced that there was no unusual border crossings or influxes. Meanwhile, Botswana government has also stated that it will not serve as an open sanctuary for those fleeing neighbouring unrest. The government further said individuals arriving without proper documentation are not processed as conventional refugees but are instead, assisted with safe return to their home countries.

At a time when fashion houses across the world are searching for new stories to tell, Botswana luxury designer Koki Chiepe is looking inward.

Her exhibition, Heritage Reimagined: Living Archives, transformed the National Museum in Gaborone into something more than a fashion venue. It became an exercise in cultural memory – a space where landscapes, ceremonies and indigenous knowledge were translated into contemporary design without losing sight of their origins.

The exhibition asked a deceptively simple question: What happens when a country’s heritage becomes its design language?

The answer unfolded through textiles, jewellery, leather goods and carefully curated installations that drew from some of Botswana’s most recognisable cultural and natural landmarks. The golden hues of the savanna appeared in elegant fabric compositions, while the distinctive patterns of Botswana’s cracked earth inspired original prints that surfaced throughout the exhibition. Even the silk garments worn by museum ushers formed part of the visual narrative, blurring the line between exhibition and performance.

What emerged was less a fashion showcase than a conversation between place and design.

Among the exhibition’s most compelling references was the Okavango Delta. The winding waterways of the UNESCO World Heritage Site inspired flowing textile compositions that mirrored the movement of water across the landscape. The humble water lily, one of the Delta’s most recognisable symbols, was reimagined as sculptural jewellery – earrings, rings and brooches that transformed a familiar botanical form into contemporary adornment.

Elsewhere, the focus shifted to Tsodilo Hills, a site often described as the ‘Louvre of the Desert’ because of its extraordinary concentration of ancient rock art. Rather than treating the site as a relic of the past, Chiepe used its visual language as a starting point for modern textile design, luxury accessories and jewellery. The result suggested that heritage need not remain frozen in time to retain its significance.

The exhibition’s emotional centre, however, lay in its interpretation of Botswana’s ceremonial textiles – Tjale and Mogagolwane.

For generations, these textiles have occupied a special place in Botswana’s social and cultural life, appearing at graduations, family gatherings, weddings and other important milestones. They are markers of identity and belonging, woven into both memory and everyday experience.

Chiepe resisted the temptation to reproduce these traditions literally. Instead, she translated their visual vocabulary into silk textiles, contemporary garments and luxury accessories. Mogagolwane-inspired prints appeared alongside intricate beadwork, including hand-crafted flamingo motifs that drew on Botswana’s wildlife heritage. The pieces felt familiar yet contemporary, rooted in tradition while speaking to a global luxury audience.

This balancing act – between preservation and reinvention – runs through the exhibition.

It is also central to Chiepe’s understanding of luxury.

‘For me, luxury begins with knowing who we are,’ she says.

‘When I look at Botswana, I see one of the richest design archives in the world. I see the Okavango Delta, the Tsodilo Hills, the Tjale, the Mogagolwane, the savanna, the cracked earth, our baskets, our indigenous knowledge and the remarkable craftsmanship that surrounds us.’

Her argument challenges longstanding assumptions about where luxury originates. Rather than positioning African heritage as inspiration for global fashion, Chiepe places it at the centre of the conversation. Botswana’s landscapes, cultural symbols and artisanal traditions are not references to be borrowed from; they are the archive itself.

That philosophy extended beyond the finished garments.

Each collection was accompanied by the story behind its creation, offering visitors insight into the research, symbolism and craftsmanship embedded in every piece. Through collaborations with artisans specialising in weaving, beadwork, leather craftsmanship, brass work and textile development across Africa and Asia, the exhibition highlighted the role of skilled makers in preserving cultural knowledge.

In an era of mass production and fast fashion, the emphasis on craft felt deliberate.

For Chiepe, heritage survives not simply through preservation, but through continued use, reinterpretation and exchange.

‘Heritage should never stand still,’ she says. ‘We honour it by allowing it to evolve with dignity and respect.’

The exhibition remained open for five days after its runway presentation, inviting visitors to engage with it as both a fashion experience and an educational journey through Botswana’s cultural landscapes. Through garments, photography, jewellery and storytelling, Heritage Reimagined: Living Archives positioned heritage not as a static collection of artefacts, but as a living resource capable of generating new ideas and new forms of expression.

In doing so, it offered a compelling vision of what contemporary African luxury can look like: confident in its identity, grounded in place and unafraid to tell its own stories.

Historically, business success has been associated with expansion, increased market presence and the pursuit of growth opportunities. Boards and management teams have traditionally been evaluated on their ability to grow revenue and create shareholder value. This approach is understandable during periods of economic growth, where favourable market conditions create opportunities for businesses to expand and pursue new ventures. However, economic uncertainty requires businesses to reconsider whether growth alone remains the appropriate measure of success.

Across Botswana, households have already responded to economic pressures by adjusting their spending habits. Families are starting to reduce unnecessary expenditure and be more deliberate with how they allocate their limited resources. In many respects, households have already undertaken their own form of restructuring by aligning their expenditure with their financial reality.

The same principle should apply to businesses. Just as households have had to reassess their expenditure in response to changing economic conditions, businesses must also consider whether their current operating models remain sustainable.

Recent developments in South Africa provide an important lesson for Botswana businesses. Across various sectors, companies have began taking difficult but necessary steps to protect their long-term sustainability. Retailers have started reducing their footprint by closing underperforming stores while media organisations are restructuring their operations in response to changing revenue models. Manufacturing businesses have also consolidated production capacity where maintaining existing operations is no longer economically viable.

These decisions are often viewed negatively because they involve disruption and difficult choices. However, from a governance perspective, these measures are not necessarily signs of business failure. In many instances, they represent decisions taken by boards and management teams to preserve the broader business and protect long-term value.

For Botswana businesses, the lesson is not that every company should immediately close operations, reduce staff or abandon growth ambitions. Rather, boards must objectively assess whether their current operating models are appropriate in the prevailing economic environment.

One of the biggest misconceptions about adapting during an economic downturn is that it automatically means retrenchments. Strategic adaptation is much broader than reducing headcount. It involves ensuring that the business is operating efficiently while preserving cash flow and focusing resources on activities that create sustainable value.

For some businesses, this may require reviewing operations that are no longer financially sustainable. Companies should be looking at regularly assessing whether their branches, products, services or business units are generating sufficient value. A business should not continue carrying activities that consistently consume resources without delivering adequate returns simply because they have historically formed part of the organisation.

Many businesses are currently struggling to stay afloat because they continue to carry costs that were agreed to during stronger economic periods. Lease agreements, supplier contracts, outsourced services, insurance arrangements and financing costs should all be reviewed to determine whether they remain appropriate for the current economic environment.

This does not necessarily mean compromising the quality of operations or reducing expenditure indiscriminately. Rather, it requires businesses to ensure that resources are being allocated responsibly and that costs are aligned with the current realities of the business.

Another important consideration is whether businesses are focusing on the right customers, products and services. During economic downturns, revenue alone cannot be the only measure of business performance. Companies must assess the profitability of their customer relationships and whether certain products or services are providing sufficient returns to the business.

Some customers may generate significant turnover but create limited profitability after considering the resources required to service those relationships. Businesses may therefore need to focus more deliberately on profitable customers, sustainable products and services, and areas where they have a competitive advantage.

Cash flow management must also become a key priority for boards during challenging economic periods. A business can be profitable on paper and still experience financial difficulties if it does not have sufficient cash to meet its obligations. Boards must ensure that management is actively monitoring cash flow, controlling expenditure and making decisions that strengthen the financial position of the company.

Businesses should also assess whether they are holding assets that no longer contribute to their strategic objectives. Companies that are asset-rich but cash-constrained may need to evaluate whether certain assets should be sold, repurposed or exited. A downturn often requires businesses to simplify their operations and focus resources on activities that support long-term sustainability.

The responsibility of a board is not only to approve growth strategies during favourable economic conditions. Good governance also requires directors to recognise when a business model requires adjustment and to ensure that appropriate action is taken before financial challenges threaten the sustainability of the organisation.

Sometimes, becoming smaller is not an indication that a business has failed. In most cases, simplifying operations and focusing on core actives may be what allows a business to remain operational, preserve value and position itself for future growth.

For businesses in Botswana, tightening the purse strings does not simply mean cutting costs; it requires innovation, strategic decision-making and the willingness to adapt before financial pressures become a crisis. Ultimately, the businesses best positioned to navigate this economic downturn will be those whose boards have the foresight to reassess, the courage to make difficult decisions and the discipline to build operating models that are sustainable for the future.

Botswana has only 52 labour inspectors to oversee a rapidly expanding workforce, exposing a critical enforcement gap as the country prepares to implement sweeping labour law reforms.

Labour Commissioner Veronica Moloko said the inspectorate is severely understaffed and lacks the specialist skills needed to effectively enforce the new Employment and Labour Relations Act, warning that the country’s labour inspection system has not kept pace with growth in the private sector.

‘Currently we have only 52 labour inspectors,’ Moloko said during the ILES 5th Labour Conference in Gaborone. ‘We do agree and acknowledge that this is not enough, and we cannot operate like that.’

Her remarks came during a panel discussion titled ‘Can Botswana Enforce What is Legislates? Re-imagining Labour Inspection, Compliance and Accountability in the New Labour Regime.’ Moloko said Botswana’s labour market has expanded significantly over the years, placing increasing pressure on an inspection workforce that has seen little corresponding growth.

‘As we speak, the labour market has expanded rapidly. Businesses are opening everywhere,’ she said. ‘Once a business opens, the business does employ some workers.’ She said many inspectors were recruited years ago and now face an increasingly complex workplace environment without adequate specialised training.

‘During these years, a lot of things have happened in the employment space, and they do lack some of the skills,’ Moloko said, noting that modern inspections increasingly require sector-specific expertise. The commissioner said Botswana has already begun upgrading inspectors’ capabilities with support from the International Labour Organisation (ILO), which helped train a number of officers about two-and-a-half years ago.

‘There’s no course or degree course that is done on inspection. We only gain experience through capacitation and on-the-job training.’ Her comments underscore the operational challenge facing government as it seeks to translate newly enacted labour protections into workplace compliance. While the legislation strengthens workers’ rights, its success will depend heavily on the state’s ability to monitor employers, investigate violations and enforce the law consistently.

The shortage of inspectors comes at a time when policymakers are seeking stronger compliance with labour standards across sectors, placing renewed focus on staffing levels, technical expertise and institutional capacity within the Department of Labour.

The Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) government faces its biggest test yet – turning promises into delivery. Already under pressure over unfulfilled election pledges, it must now overcome Botswana’s long-standing implementation problem as it seeks billions of Pula from African Development Bank, money that will only flow when the government proves it can deliver results.

Documents seen by Sunday Standard reveal that Botswana is quietly negotiating a multi-billion Pula loan from the African Development Bank (AfDB) to bankroll an ambitious jobs programme that promises to tackle the country’s unemployment crisis through skills development entrepreneurship and enterprise financing.

While the programe is being sold as a transformative intervention capable of unlocking at least P16.08 billion worth of National Development Plan 12 (NDP12)-aligned economic activities, many of the critical details such as the total value of the loan, performance targets and disbursement conditions remain under negotiation.

Before Botswana can draw down a single Pula from the proposed multi-billion Pula AfDB loan, the government must first overcome a problem that has plagued the country for decades, implementation. Confidential Ministry of Finance documents reveal that unlike traditional development financing, the proposed facility will only release funds after Botswana proves it has delivered agreed results, turning the country’s chronic inability to execute projects on time and within budget from a governance weakness into a potential barrier to accessing desperately needed financing.

The documents also show that the initiative comes at a time when Botswana is battling persistently high youth unemployment, slowing private sector job creation and growing public pressure on President Duma Boko’s administration to deliver employment opportunities promised during the election campaign.

One of the documents gleaned from the Ministry of Finance explains that; ‘Once approved (loan) by the Bank and Government of Botswana (through Parliament), the Bank will provide financing, implementation support and monitoring for the Project.’

The document further states that for projects comprising multiple subprojects developed and implemented during the programme, the government must demonstrate to the Bank before project appraisal that it has the capacity to conduct appropriate environmental and social assessments and to prepare and implement the subprojects in compliance with both Botswana’s national laws and the AfDB’s Operational Safeguards (OS).

Unlike traditional development loans where money is released upfront, the proposed financing adopts AfDB’s Results-Based Financing model, meaning Botswana will have to demonstrate measurable progress before portions of the loan are disbursed.

According to AfDB documents, the programme’s expected results include ‘an estimated total of at least P16.08 billion of NDP12-related activities that could be considered broadly aligned to job creation in general.’

The documents also states that the programme seeks to ‘accelerate sustainable job creation in Botswana by strengthening demand-driven skills development, enterprise acceleration, sustainable access to finance, and institutional delivery capacity.’ The Bank says the programme is expected to contribute directly to reducing youth unemployment and the number of young people not in employment, education or training (NEET), while increasing enterprise survival, productivity and institutional capacity. The financing model also suggests that there will be a shift in how international lenders are engaging Botswana. Rather than establishing parallel implementation structures, AfDB intends to rely almost entirely on Botswana’s existing government systems. ‘The Bank’s role will be to provide financing, technical dialogue, and oversight that reinforce national systems and incentivise performance, rather than creating parallel delivery structures,’ the assessment states.

However, the programme’s success will depend heavily on whether government ministries can deliver complex projects efficiently-an area where previous government programmes have struggled. While the Ministry of Finance has experience managing projects financed by multilateral development banks, the Bank notes that Botswana continues to rely significantly on external consultants to manage environmental and social safeguards because of limited internal expertise.

The assessment report further reveals that several ministries expected to implement key components of the programme including the Ministries of Gender and Youth Affairs, Sport and Arts, Labour and Home Affairs, and Lands and Agriculture have no internal environmental and social safeguards capacity. To address these weaknesses, the Bank proposes creating a dedicated Programme Management Unit comprising a Programme Manager, Procurement Specialist, Financial Management Specialist, Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist, and an Environmental and Social Safeguards Specialist.

The unit would coordinate multiple ministries, parastatals, universities, commercial banks and private sector partners. Even then, AfDB acknowledges that institutional arrangements, verification systems and implementation mechanisms are still being refined. Rather than focusing on a single employment initiative, the programme attempts to build an entire employment ecosystem.

Annexures accompanying the AfDB documents list the stakeholders consulted by the Bank during a series of meetings held this year. They include the Ministry of Higher Education, the Ministry of Sports and Arts, the Ministry of Trade and Entrepreneurship, the Ministry of Communications and Innovation, the Local Enterprise Authority (LEA), and the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, among others.

Documents indicate investments will span five major result areas: skills alignment, enterprise development, access to finance, digital transformation and institutional reforms. Among the flagship initiatives are: Construction and refurbishment of Youth Resource Centres across Botswana, Expansion of Rapid Skills Centres, Transformation of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions, Capacity building programmes at the University of Botswana, BIUST and BUAN, Digital innovation hubs, Refurbishment of village centres into creative industry workspaces, Creation of Enterprise and Skills Development Centres, Establishment of MSME incubation and technology transfer centres, Recapitalisation of the Youth Development Fund, Development of intellectual property commercialisation programmes, Strengthening export promotion initiatives and a proposed internship programme expected to absorb 6,000 interns over four years.

The programme also proposes digital reforms including new labour market information systems, online internship management platforms and digitisation of business registration services.

Beyond training, the project includes significant infrastructure spending. The AfDB identifies Francistown, Palapye, Mahalapye and Pilane as major implementation hubs, while activities will extend across the country. Infrastructure projects include: New Youth Resource Centres in Lerala, Serowe, Maun, Francistown, Mochudi and other towns and refurbishment of centres in Gaborone, Mahalapye, Bobonong, Tutume and Mosojane. They also include upgrading Village Centres in Mochudi, Molepolole, Serowe, Maun, Kanye and Gantsi into creative workspaces, expansion of incubation facilities, development of digital content hubs, TVET Centres of Excellence and Public Employment Centres.

AfDB classifies the programme as Category 2, meaning projects are expected to pose moderate environmental and social risks. Site inspections found anticipated impacts would generally be ‘reversible and manageable.’ The Bank also says no involuntary resettlement is anticipated because government has indicated adequate land has already been allocated. However, it requested proof of land ownership and transfer documentation before implementation.

Perhaps the most striking omission from both the Ministry of Finance and AfDB documents is the value of the loan itself. Neither document discloses how much Botswana intends to borrow despite detailing an extensive national programme expected to unlock more than P16 billion in economic activities.

The proposed programme suggests that government recognises that unemployment cannot be solved through public sector recruitment alone. Instead, it seeks to stimulate private enterprise, entrepreneurship, skills development and innovation simultaneously. The programme argues that sustainable employment requires progress in four interconnected areas skills alignment, enterprise development, access to finance and digital transformation supported by institutional reforms. The Ministry of Finance and AfDB had not responded to Sunday Standard queries by press time.

Cabinet has been petitioned to reject a proposed increase in annual subscription, licensing and penalty fees by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Botswana (NMCB) as nurses warn that the new charges could force many professionals out of practice.

In a petition dated August 4 and addressed to the Secretary to the Cabinet through the Office of the President, citizens, nurses, midwives, students and healthcare supporters urged Cabinet to reject the proposed fee structure, arguing that it would place an unfair financial burden on the profession.

The petition which bears the stamp of the Office of the President and was copied to the Permanent Secretary to the President is backed by signatures collected through the Change.org platform.

‘We, the undersigned citizens, nurses, midwives, students, and supporters of Botswana’s healthcare system, respectfully submit this petition requesting the Cabinet of the Republic of Botswana to reject the proposed increase in the annual subscription, licensing and penalty fees proposed by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Botswana,’ the petition states.

Petitioners argue that many nurses already struggle to pay the current annual subscription fee of P50, particularly unemployed and underemployed practitioners who must maintain their registration while searching for work.

‘For many years, nurses have struggled to meet the current annual subscription fee of P50. This challenge has been even greater for unemployed and underemployed nurses, who continue to seek employment while maintaining their professional registration. Increasing these fees substantially will make it even more difficult for many professionals to remain registered and legally practice,’ the petition says.

The group also raises concerns over proposed penalties for late payment, describing them as excessive and likely to have the opposite of their intended effect.

‘We are also deeply concerned by the proposed penalties for late payment, which are disproportionate and high. Rather than encouraging compliance, such penalties risk forcing many nurses and midwives out of the profession because they simply cannot afford the financial burden,’ the petition reads.

Beyond the financial implications, the petition questions the process followed before the proposal reached Cabinet, alleging that frontline healthcare professionals were not meaningfully consulted.

‘Equally concerning is the apparent lack of meaningful consultation with the primary stakeholders before the proposal was submitted to Cabinet. Nurses and midwives are directly affected by these changes, yet many report that they were neither adequately informed nor given a genuine opportunity to participate,’ the petition states.

The petitioners argue that professional regulatory fees should be fair, transparent and developed through broad consultation with those expected to pay them. They are now calling on Cabinet to reject the proposed fee increases and direct the NMCB to undertake wider stakeholder engagement before introducing any changes.

It is understood that the petition adds to growing opposition from nurses and their representative bodies, who have maintained that the proposed fee increases are unaffordable and could worsen staffing challenges by making it more difficult for qualified practitioners to maintain their licences.

Over the recent past too many wrong people have gotten appointed as High Commissioners and Ambassadors. Such misplaced appointments have been going on for a very long time – with despicable consequences.

The appointments are a result of subordinating strategic foreign policy interests to partisan and political patronage by those in charge.

Quite predictably, these wrongful appointments have weakened the foreign service and over time rendered it unfit for purpose.

Membership of the party in power has often mattered more than appropriate qualifications and experience in diplomacy.

The result on Botswana’s foreign service has been a long arc of descent and decline into mediocrity.

For a few years now the foreign service has been too leaden. Experienced cadres have left as their positions have been filled by political appointees who lack depth, intellectual dexterity and have no institutional memory.

However way one looks at it, the foreign service is today hollowed and depleted.

Diplomacy is not an easy job. Yet our leadership has often found nothing wrong appointing their political associates to fill what should be specialized jobs of national strategic importance to the country abroad.

At the moment Botswana’s diplomats abroad are generally unable to play a significant role to service the country’s vital economic interests. This has been the status quo for a while by the way.

They are unable to assist the country in bringing investors here. Additionally, they are generally unable to secure markets for Botswana produced goods.

That is so because a good number of them do not even understand the country’s foreign policy much less the country’s agenda on such key issues like trade.

Botswana’s place on a fast changing world is evolving. Yet many of our diplomats cannot would struggle to even identify Botswana’s station in this world.

To successfully position itself, the country needs a sharp diplomatic service.

Many of these diplomats consider themselves on a long state sponsored holiday abroad.

The global stage is getting not only smaller but also much more complex and sophisticated.

It is a world that needs diplomats who are well versed and well-heeled on international affairs.

Foreign policy should never be regarded as an add-on to Botswana’s overall policy.

It is fundamental. What happens abroad affects government policy at home as we saw on how the tariff regime imposed by the United States had a big impact on Botswana diamonds sales.

The president needs a team he can rely on to guide and brief him – at home and abroad when he tackles international issues.

Working for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs used to be the dream of every young graduate.

As a result the ministry was able to recruit some of the country’s finest and brightest.

That created a very strong ecosystem that was also resilient – at home and abroad – to undertake and see through the country’s foreign policy.

And then a change for the worse started. A big number of political appointees began to find their way into the foreign service as ambassadors and High Commissioners.

Previous BDP governments had created an impression that the slow and somewhat fatalist descent of foreign service into the farce it has become was always inevitable.

The situation took a turn for worse when government saw nothing wrong appointing someone as Ambassador so that they could go and get better medical attention abroad.

Because people were appointed purely as part of patronage, the result was that a tour could last for up to 20 years or longer.

On and on down the slope the quality went.

The current UDC government have inherited a poisoned chalice.

But there is a way out.

They should rollback the dice and get out of the abyss.

A starting point for them is to not buy into the rubbish that our foreign service cannot be brought back to what it used to be – where it served the country’s true strategic interests rather than the leader’s whims.

The current chaos on the foreign policy scene ultimately has a negative impact including on the country’s security ecosystem.

It is time for radical change.

Government should rethink the utility of political appointees as Ambassadors and High Commissioners – especially in key capitals like Pretoria, Washinton, London, Beijing, Geneva, New York, Harare, Windhoek, Lusaka and Brussels.

In the main, political appointees are unavoidable. But they should be always be used sparingly.

A UDC government can still reverse the ongoing decline of the foreign service. And get the diplomatic service back on track.

The underlying paradox is unmistakable. The appetite for political appointments, especially among the political class continues unabated, but across the wider public the demand is for career diplomats to be given a chance.

The public is fed up with political appointments, not least because there is very little to show in value for money in them.

Restoring quality will not be easy, not least because the temptation and now political pressure to appoint party men and woman into foreign service is higher than ever before.

It has not escaped the public imagination that too often, those appointed would be failed politicians, or those that were no longer wanted in their own fields like for example a military general who had fallen out of favour or who the commander in chief wanted to get rid of as a way of making space for their preferred guy.

Botswana’s newly secured duty-free access to the United States offers a competitive advantage over India’s diamond exports, which now face a 10% U.S. tariff, but a top economist says the shift is unlikely to dramatically alter the global diamond trade.

While the tariff differential could encourage some high-value diamond processing to move to Botswana, the country’s higher production costs and structural bottlenecks mean India is expected to retain its dominant position in the global cutting and polishing industry.

‘It’s helpful but not a game changer,’ said Dr. Keith Jefferis, managing director of Econsult Botswana.

‘The main problem is that India is so much more efficient (lower cost) in diamond cutting and polishing that the 10% tariff cost advantage in Botswana vs India is offset by much higher costs in general in Botswana compared to India. So, for most diamonds India is still more competitive, even with the 10% US tariff.’

The comments come as Botswana stands to benefit from preferential access to the U.S. market after Washington maintained a 10% tariff on Indian diamond imports while granting Botswana duty-free treatment, potentially giving the world’s leading rough diamond producer a pricing advantage in one of the industry’s most important consumer markets.

Jefferis said the biggest opportunity lies in larger, higher-value stones where labour costs play a smaller role in determining competitiveness. ‘The exception is for larger diamonds (3 or 5ct+) that can be cut cost effectively in Botswana, and it is possible that more of these will be cut in BW and less in India,’ he said.

Even if demand for Botswana-polished diamonds rises, Jefferis warned that local manufacturers may struggle to expand production because of domestic policy constraints.

‘However, the local industry still faces constraints in expanding. First firms cannot get the work permits they need to bring in trainers and highly skilled polishers, and second there is a punitive Training Levy that is imposed on a firm’s turnover and therefore penalises high value low margin businesses such as diamond cutting and polishing.’

He said Botswana’s levy places local firms at a disadvantage against rival polishing centres. ‘In competing jurisdictions, the TL is imposed on a firm’s wage bill not turnover, and does not impose this penalty.’ The tariff advantage also does little to address the industry’s biggest long-term challenge which is the rapid rise of lab-grown diamonds, which continue to undercut natural stones on price.

Dr. Jefferis also says the newly secured duty-free access to the United States ‘does little to change the relative price points of Botswana natural diamonds vs synthetic diamonds, as the latter has a price advantage of 70-80%’.

The assessment suggests Botswana’s improved access to the U.S. market could provide a welcome boost for selected segments of its downstream diamond industry, particularly larger stones. But without reforms to lower business costs and ease skills shortages, the country is unlikely to significantly erode India’s commanding share of the global cutting and polishing market despite the new tariff landscape.