Category: Sunday Standard

The Court of Appeal has dismissed a bid by construction company Black Cad Investments to revive a long-running government infrastructure tender. The Court ruled that procurement authorities acted lawfully when they cancelled the project after years of disputes, investigations and repeated evaluations.

In a judgment delivered on 31 July, the appeal court upheld an earlier High Court ruling that rejected Black Cad’s challenge to the cancellation of a tender for water and sanitation infrastructure in Morwa West, Kgatleng.

The project, first advertised in 2017, was intended to deliver a water pipeline, reservoir, outfall sewer line and related services. But what began as a routine public procurement exercise spiralled into a four-year dispute involving complaints from bidders, police investigations, litigation and multiple reviews of the evaluation process.

Writing for a unanimous bench, Justice of Appeal Isaac Lesetedi described the procurement process as a ‘long drawn out four-year nightmare beset with controversy and challenges’, noting that the project had effectively become ‘a mirage’ that might never be realised.

The case centred on a decision by the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Board (PPADB) in September 2021 to cancel the tender. The board cited two reasons: the age of the procurement process and a finding that none of the bidders ultimately complied with the tender requirements.

Black Cad argued that once the originally preferred bidder, Dambeko Construction, was disqualified for submitting false information, it should have been awarded the contract. The company also contended that the PPADB had no authority to cancel a tender simply because it had become old.

The Court of Appeal declined to determine whether age alone could justify cancellation, finding that the case could be resolved on other grounds. Instead, it focused on the board’s finding that Black Cad itself had failed to meet a mandatory tender requirement by not submitting the curriculum vitae of its proposed project manager.

The judges held that procurement authorities were entitled to revisit earlier evaluations and conduct fresh scrutiny of bids. Even if an earlier assessment had found Black Cad compliant, the PPADB retained broad statutory powers to review the procurement process and reach its own conclusions.

The court also rejected allegations that the board had acted irrationally or in bad faith. It found that procurement officials repeatedly called for records, reviewed documentation and examined complaints before making decisions.

‘From the record, the Board acted fairly, rationally and in good faith,’ Lesetedi wrote, adding that its conduct was ‘beyond reproach’.

The judgment highlights a recurring problem in Botswana’s procurement system: infrastructure projects delayed for years by disputes and litigation. By the time the PPADB revisited the Morwa West tender in 2021, four years had passed since bids were submitted, raising concerns that contractors could no longer reasonably be expected to deliver the works at 2017 prices.

The board concluded that inflation, changing project conditions and the passage of time had fundamentally altered the tender environment.

The Court of Appeal also found a procedural weakness in Black Cad’s case. While the company sought to overturn the PPADB decision, it did not directly seek to set aside the underlying decision of the Ministerial Tender Committee, which had found all bidders non-compliant.

As a result, even if Black Cad had succeeded against the board, the ministerial committee’s decision would have remained legally effective.

The appeal was dismissed with costs, bringing to an end nearly nine years of disputes over a project that has yet to break ground. Attorney Tshiamo Rantao,Maswabi, and Kgakgwe represented the PPADB while Atang Kgaodi represented the Attorney General.

Last month, I argued that patients experience one health system rather than separate government ministries. A decision on taxation affects access to care. Medicine procurement influences public confidence. Health financing shapes treatment choices. Patients do not experience these issues separately. They experience them together.

That discussion leads naturally to another question. How should governments recognise harm during a health-system crisis?

Recent public statements concerning medicine shortages and mortality have raised an important scientific and policy question. The question is not whether evidence matters. It does. Nor is it whether governments should rely on facts rather than speculation. They should. The real question is what counts as evidence when a health system is under pressure.

Health Policy and Systems Research has long recognised that health-system failure is rarely revealed by a single statistic. Harm often begins quietly. Treatments are interrupted. Medicines become unavailable. Patients postpone care. Health workers improvise. Families spend more out of pocket. Trust begins to erode. By the time mortality statistics begin to change, the health system may already have been signalling distress for months.

This distinction lies at the heart of the current debate. It is also where science has the greatest contribution to make.

The Minister’s Statement

Against this background, the Assistant Minister of Health recently stated that government had found no evidence linking medicine shortages directly to patient deaths. The statement reflects an important principle of scientific reasoning. Governments should not attribute deaths to medicine shortages without credible evidence. Public confidence depends on decisions grounded in careful investigation rather than assumption.

The statement, however, also raises an important methodological question. Does the absence of evidence demonstrating a direct causal relationship between medicine shortages and recorded mortality necessarily mean that medicine shortages have caused no harm?

Health Policy and Systems Research suggests that the answer is more nuanced. Health systems are complex adaptive systems in which outcomes rarely arise from a single cause acting in isolation. A patient’s health is shaped by a chain of interconnected events involving diagnosis, medicine availability, health-worker capacity, referral systems, financing and continuity of care. Weakness in any one part of that chain can influence the eventual outcome.

Researchers therefore distinguish between absence of evidence and evidence of absence. As Altman and Bland (1995) observed, failing to demonstrate a relationship is not the same as demonstrating that no relationship exists. That distinction provides the starting point for understanding what the international evidence shows.

What the International Evidence Shows

International research has consistently shown that medicine shortages are far more than pharmaceutical supply problems. They are recognised as health-system risks that affect the quality, continuity and safety of patient care. While shortages may contribute to increased mortality in some circumstances, the evidence demonstrates that their consequences are usually broader, more gradual and more complex than a single mortality statistic can capture.

The World Health Organization identifies uninterrupted access to essential medicines as one of the six core building blocks of a functioning health system because medicines underpin effective service delivery, clinical decision-making and public confidence (WHO, 2007). Building on this, de Savigny and Adam (2009) argue that health systems should be understood as interconnected systems in which disruption in one component inevitably affects others. A medicine shortage is therefore not simply a procurement problem; it is a signal of wider system stress.

The Lancet Commission on High-Quality Health Systems reaches a similar conclusion. Kruk and colleagues (2018) argue that health-system performance should be judged not only by access to services but by whether patients receive timely, safe, effective and trusted care. Continuity of treatment is therefore as important as the availability of treatment.

Evidence specific to medicine shortages reinforces this broader perspective. Systematic reviews by Fox and McLaughlin (2018) and Acosta and colleagues (2019) consistently associate medicine shortages with treatment interruption, medication substitution, avoidable complications, increased out-of-pocket expenditure, greater pressure on health professionals and poorer patient experiences. Although studies vary in their findings on direct effects on mortality, they overwhelmingly conclude that shortages generate measurable clinical, economic and humanistic harm.

This conclusion is also reflected in patient safety research. The Institute of Medicine argued that high-quality health systems should identify risks before they result in avoidable harm rather than simply record adverse outcomes after they occur (Institute of Medicine, 2001). Collectively, this body of evidence suggests that medicine shortages should be understood not merely as supply-chain failures, but as indicators of health-system vulnerability requiring timely stewardship and policy action.

Looking Beyond Mortality: What Counts as Evidence?

The international evidence raises an important question. If medicine shortages can cause harm without immediately affecting mortality, what should governments regard as evidence?

Health Policy and Systems Research offers a broader answer than mortality statistics alone. Health Policy and Systems Research is different to clinical research, that often aims to find direct cause-effect relationships. Health Policy and Systems Research looks at how institutions, policies and governance arrangements affect health outcomes. It asks how health systems function in practice and how the interactions between different elements of the system shape the care that patients receive (Gilson, 2012; Sheikh et al., 2011).

From this perspective, mortality is a lagging indicator. It records an outcome after a chain of events has already unfolded. By contrast, medicine availability, treatment continuity, delayed care, patient experience and financial hardship are leading indicators. They provide early evidence that a health system is under strain and allow governments to intervene before adverse outcomes become irreversible.

This distinction is familiar across many sectors. Repeated equipment failures are investigated by aviation authorities before an aircraft crashes. Before a bridge falls down , engineers fix weaknesses in a structure . Disease surveillance response by public health officials before hospitals are overwhelmed. Effective governance depends on recognising risk early rather than waiting for catastrophe.

The same principle applies to health systems. Governments may not yet be able to demonstrate that a particular medicine shortage directly caused a particular death. That level of proof often requires detailed clinical investigation and robust epidemiological analysis. However, they do not need to wait for such evidence before responding to credible indications that medicines are unavailable, treatment is being interrupted or patients are struggling to access care. The purpose of evidence is not simply to confirm failure. It is to prevent it.

Measuring Harm Before It Becomes Catastrophe

If mortality is only one indicator of health-system performance, the next question is straightforward: what should governments measure during medicine shortages?

Health Policy and Systems Research encourages governments to monitor the conditions that increase the likelihood of harm rather than waiting for harm to become visible. The objective is not simply to document failure, but to detect emerging risks early enough for corrective action to be taken. This is core to stewardship and resilience of health systems (WHO, 2021).

Several indicators are particularly important. The first is the frequency and duration of medicine stock-outs, which provide an early measure of the reliability of procurement and supply systems. The second is treatment continuity. For patients living with chronic conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, HIV infection, epilepsy and cancer, interruptions in treatment may not produce immediate mortality, but they can accelerate disease progression, increase complications and reduce quality of life (Fox and McLaughlin, 2018; Acosta et al., 2019).

Governments should also monitor medicine substitution, delayed appointments, household out-of-pocket expenditure and patient experience. Together, these indicators reveal how shortages affect clinical practice, financial protection and public confidence in the health system. As Gilson has argued, trust is not merely a desirable outcome of effective governance; it is one of the conditions that enables health systems to function effectively.

Viewed together, these measures provide a far richer understanding of health-system performance than mortality statistics alone. They allow governments to recognise vulnerability, strengthen system resilience and intervene before service disruption develops into avoidable harm.

A Better Question for Botswana

The recent public discussion on medicine shortages presents Botswana with an opportunity to strengthen, rather than polarise, evidence-informed health policymaking. The issue is not whether governments should rely on evidence they must. Nor is it whether claims linking medicine shortages to mortality require careful scientific investigation they do. The broader challenge is ensuring that the evidence collected is sufficiently comprehensive to recognise risks before they become irreversible harm.

As Botswana continues to strengthen primary healthcare, improve medicines governance and advance universal health coverage, this debate should encourage investment in stronger medicines surveillance, routine monitoring of treatment continuity, patient safety, stock-out reporting and health-system intelligence. These are not simply technical functions. They are essential components of stewardship because they enable governments to detect emerging risks, respond proportionately and learn from experience before patients suffer avoidable harm.

Ultimately, the strongest health systems are distinguished not by how well they explain tragedy after it has occurred, but by how effectively they recognise risk and prevent it. That is the enduring contribution of Health Policy and Systems Research-and perhaps the most important lesson this debate offers Botswana.

Millions of Pulas given to Botswana Football Association (BFA) for projects under the FIFA Forward 1.0 and 2.0 initiatives are yet to be accounted for.

FIFA Forward, which was first launched in 2016, is the football world governing’s initiative to develop football across its more than 211 members. Under this program, football associations, including BFA, make tailor made requests to FIFA to finance certain football projects within its jurisdiction.

These projects are designed to support areas of need such as ‘infrastructure development, football development, competitions, capacity building, administration or other institutional priorities.’

This support however comes under strict auditing expectations. FIFA demands detailed reports to show the monies were used for projects as required. If these strict auditing requirements are met, the association is then able to request for more support to undertake similar projects.

A failure to adhere to the strict auditing requirements however means no further monies can be released towards similar projects. And this is where the BFA finds itself. Since inception of the FIFA Forward initiative, the BFA has more often successfully tapped into this source.

However, reports show that the association has failed to account for millions of pulas acquired from FIFA. These accounting failures date back to the year 2017, when the BFA was given its first grants under the initiative.

BFA project management consultant Molefi Obenne has revealed that from the eighteen (18) projects financed under the initiative, only six (6) have been accounted for.

During the initial roll-out of the initiative, the FIFA Forward 1.0 between 2016 and 2018, BFA were granted assistance for at least 13 projects. From these, only six projects were completed or accounted for and closed. Seven are yet to be accounted for. In the FIFA Forward 2.0 initiative, five projects were financed. As of now, none has been accounted for or closed.

Presenting at the inaugural BFA Football Pitso, Obenne said all the unfinished projects were those under the direct purview of the association. The closed projects on the other hand are those which had been awarded to external service providers.

Among the projects which are unaccounted for are the Grassroots and Youth Football Competition (financed at US$750 000 or +/- P10 122 000), Botswana Football League project (US$107,803.32 in FIFA Forward 1.0 and US$371,556.68 in FIFA Forward 2.0 respectively), the Regional Football League Project (US$297,579.66) as well as several capacity building workshops.

In the absence of necessary reports required by FIFA, the BFA finds itself in an untenable situation. It cannot request for some of the remaining unused funds from the projects which are still with FIFA. The association can also not apply for funds to continue projects related to Botswana Football League, Grassroots and Youth Football Competitions or Regional Football League.

The BFA is said to have realized the extent of the challenge when some of its requests for project financing were not approved. Upon request for clarity, it was informed no funds could be released until FIFA has been given reports on projects of similar nature which had been financed prior.

Obenne said they have since engaged with the football world governing body seeking guidance on the matter. The BFA is now working around the clock to collate all reports and account to FIFA on how the funds were used.

Going forward, the BFA says it will have to implement tight controls on finances as well as establish close monitoring on all projects. This comes as preliminary investigations ‘indicate that the main reason the projects were not formally closed was a weakness in project monitoring, reporting and financial control.’

‘Historically, most project funding was disbursed in full at the beginning of the project, while comprehensive reporting was expected only upon completion. There were no consistent monthly or quarterly monitoring requirements to track expenditure, implementation progress, deliverables, risks and emerging variances.’

‘At this preliminary stage, there is insufficient evidence to conclude that project funds were deliberately redirected to other activities. This can only be established through a project-by-project reconciliation of approved budgets, bank transactions, payment records, procurement documents, invoices, progress reports and completed deliverables,’ the BFA says.

With uncertainty mounting on whether the BFA can get financing on similar projects to the ones it has not closed or accounted for, it now has to undertake a tedious task to audit all projects ‘to determine their status and use of funds for each of them.’

There is an old paradox about the Okavango Delta. It is one of the most photographed landscapes on Earth, yet the people who have shaped its history remain largely invisible.

For decades, filmmakers have returned to Botswana’s UNESCO World Heritage Site to capture sweeping aerial shots of papyrus channels, elephant herds and spectacular sunsets. The Delta has become shorthand for wilderness – beautiful, pristine and seemingly untouched.

Batho ba Metsi (People of the Water), the latest documentary from the Nkashi Trust, quietly dismantles that familiar narrative.

Premiered on Tuesday 4 August before an invited audience at the Btv Auditorium, including President Duma Boko, the film asks audiences to stop admiring the landscape long enough to notice the people living within it. It is less interested in the Delta as a destination than as a homeland, less fascinated by wildlife than by those who have coexisted with it for centuries.

The result is one of the most important Botswana documentaries in recent years – not because it uncovers an unknown place, but because it reveals familiar territory through unfamiliar eyes.

Produced by one of Botswana’s finest filmmakers Moabi Mogorosi as a follow-up to the acclaimed Nkashi: Race for the Okavango (2023), the documentary also marks an important milestone behind the camera. For the first time in the series, the entire production – from cinematography to sound and editing – was entrusted to a wholly Batswana crew. That decision is more than symbolic. It lends the film an authenticity that is difficult to manufacture, allowing local voices to shape not only the story but also the way it is told.

Former Miss Botswana Palesa Molefe serves as the audience’s guide. Travelling from Gaborone into the Delta, she functions less as a television presenter than as an attentive listener. Her restrained narration avoids becoming the centre of attention, allowing interviewees to carry the emotional weight of the film. It is a wise editorial choice. Rather than explaining the Delta to viewers, the documentary lets the Delta explain itself.

The film never loses sight of its central question.

Who owns the Delta?

It is a deceptively simple question with no easy answer.

The documentary refuses to reduce the issue to slogans. Instead, it presents a mosaic of perspectives from the Basarwa, WaYeyi and HaMbukushu communities alongside scientists, conservationists and tourism stakeholders. Rather than portraying indigenous knowledge and modern science as opposing worldviews, Batho ba Metsi presents them as complementary systems of understanding. Traditional ecological knowledge, accumulated over centuries of observation, is given equal weight alongside academic research.

This intellectual generosity becomes one of the documentary’s defining achievements.

Instead of asking viewers to choose between science and tradition, it demonstrates that each enriches the other.

Perhaps the documentary’s greatest emotional strength lies in its exploration of identity and belonging.

Throughout the film, ‘home’ emerges not merely as a geographical location but as an enduring emotional and spiritual attachment. That idea finds its most moving expression through Professor Lydia Nyati-Ramahobo Saleshando, the renowned WaYeyi scholar and cultural activist whose interview became one of her final recorded public reflections before her passing.

Speaking from her home in Gaborone, she recalls Ikoga, the tiny Delta village of her birth that scarcely appears on maps but occupies an immense place in her memory. Her words transcend the politics of cultural recognition to become something profoundly universal. They speak to anyone who has ever left home in search of opportunity while discovering that physical distance can never sever emotional roots.

Her testimony gives the documentary extraordinary emotional resonance.

It also transforms the film into an important historical record.

Professor Nyati-Ramahobo Saleshando is not the only voice preserved for posterity. Community elder Monnaaphuthego Oja, another respected advocate for conservation and local development who died before the film’s release, appears with equal dignity. His hope that young people should share more meaningfully in the economic benefits generated by the Delta resonates long after the credits roll.

The film’s treatment of economic inequality is refreshingly honest.

Behind the international image of luxury safari camps lies another reality: communities confronting unemployment, limited opportunities and the persistent feeling that the wealth generated by the Delta seldom reaches those who have lived there the longest.

Equally compelling is the documentary’s treatment of human-wildlife conflict.

For international audiences, the Okavango often represents an untouched Eden. For residents, however, coexistence with elephants, lions and other wildlife carries daily risks. The documentary avoids romanticising either conservation or development. Instead, it captures the difficult compromises required when protecting biodiversity also means protecting human lives and livelihoods.

Mogorosi’s direction is characterised by unusual humility.

Many documentaries position the filmmaker as interpreter or authority. Here, he deliberately steps back. As he explains, the production team approached the project as students rather than experts, recognising that the communities themselves were the true custodians of the story. That philosophy is evident throughout the film. The documentary never speaks for its subjects; it creates space for them to speak for themselves.

In doing so, Batho ba Metsi accomplishes something increasingly rare in documentary filmmaking. It trusts its audience.

It does not manufacture heroes and villains. It does not force simplistic conclusions. It acknowledges that questions of conservation, cultural identity, historical injustice and economic development rarely yield comfortable answers.

Instead, it invites viewers into a conversation.

That restraint may ultimately prove to be the film’s greatest strength.

Under the leadership of Dr Steve Boyes, the Nkashi Trust has consistently championed the integration of indigenous knowledge into conservation science. Batho ba Metsi represents the clearest cinematic expression of that philosophy to date. It argues, quietly but persuasively, that conservation cannot succeed if it excludes the very communities whose knowledge has sustained these ecosystems for generations.

In the end, Batho ba Metsi is about far more than the Okavango Delta.

It is about memory, belonging, as well as the uneasy relationship between heritage and development.

Most importantly, it restores human beings to a landscape from which they have too often been edited out.

Beautifully photographed, thoughtfully edited and emotionally resonant, the documentary challenges audiences to look beyond Botswana’s most celebrated landscape and recognise the generations of people whose stories flow through its waters.

The Delta has always had a voice. Batho ba Metsi simply allows us to hear it.

Bakang Seretse and his company, Khulaco, may have lost their appeal in spectacular fashion, but the Court of Appeal refused to make two findings that would have carried even heavier consequences.

Despite describing the case in unusually strong language, the court declined to find that Seretse had committed fraud.

The judgment leaves Seretse facing an order to repay P42 million. But the court drew a distinction between the serious allegations made by government and what it could determine on the evidence before it.

Government had argued that the conduct amounted to fraud and asked the court to award costs on a punitive scale. The Court of Appeal declined.

Although the judges said there remained a ‘whiff of fraud’ over the transactions, they said they were not making a finding of fraud itself. The appeal was decided on different legal grounds. Those included breach of fiduciary duty, undisclosed conflicts of interest and the obligation to account for profits received.

The judges also rejected government’s attempt to secure attorney-and-client costs, one of the harshest costs orders available in civil litigation.

Instead, the court awarded costs on the ordinary scale. The ruling means Seretse and Khulaco remain liable for substantial legal costs, but avoid the additional financial penalty that accompanies punitive costs orders.

The judgment nevertheless leaves little doubt about the court’s view of the case.

The judges found that Seretse occupied a fiduciary position in relation to the National Petroleum Fund. They concluded that he failed to disclose interests in companies involved in the transaction and that Khulaco was required to account to government for the P42 million it received.

The court also criticised the defence mounted by Seretse and Khulaco. It said they failed to provide meaningful answers to key allegations raised by government during the summary judgment proceedings. Still, the judges drew a clear line between suspicion and proof. Their reference to a ‘whiff of fraud’ were a reflection of concerns arising from the evidence. But they did not elevate those concerns into a formal finding that fraud had been established.This was one of the few legal victories in an otherwise comprehensive defeat for Seretse and company. The judgment leaves him liable for the money government sought to recover. But it also confirms that the Court of Appeal was not prepared to make findings that went beyond what was necessary to resolve the appeal.

Three years ago, Botswana Darts Association (BODA) slipped out of its status among the AUSC Region 5 top three. As BODA prepares to host the AUSC Region 5 Games from 24 to 28 August 2026 at the Aquarian Tide Hotel in Gaborone, the target is simple. Return back to their perch among the region’s top three.

BODA Secretary Kagiso Kitso says the squad they have assembled for the home tournament will be pushing to win the championship. For this tournament, BODA will deploy a mix of Under 25, Senior and Veteran players across the men’s and women’s divisions. Kitso is of the view that the selected team, more especially the senior squad, is the strongest Botswana has fielded in years. The final squad was selected during trials in Palapye.

Winning aside, the BODA Secretary is optimistic that hosting the tournament will boost the popularity of the sport locally. BODA says hosting will increase the sport’s visibility nationally and improve government backing. ‘Hosting the Region 5 Games is a breakthrough. It gives darts national visibility, government support, and a chance to prove we can host world-class events. The Games will benefit Gaborone’s tourism and business sectors.’

With seven countries expected to be represented during the tournament in Gaborone, team delegations are expected to fill hotels and patronise restaurants and transport services over the five-day event.

‘For development, it means our final squad prepares at home, with more training and no travel stress. It tells every young Motswana that darts is a real pathway to represent Botswana. Players get international competition at home along with regional ranking points and qualification opportunities.’

As it is, BODA seeks to use the regional championships as a springboard for a better future. Kitso outlined BODA already has a long-term strategy built on three pillars. These include keeping the current squad active through monthly leagues and training, expanding BODA’s school and community programmes to grow its player base, as well as pushing for Region 5 darts to gain international recognition by aligning its rules and rankings with global standards.

‘BODA plans to align its rules, rankings and events to international standards so that a Region 5 champion can compete at African and World level without extra qualifiers, The goal is to produce Botswana players who are not just Region 5 champions, but African and World champions.’

Kitso acknowledged that BODA faces significant obstacles, including funding constraints, a shortage of facilities outside Gaborone, difficulty keeping players consistently active, strong regional competition, and the challenge of securing international recognition for Region 5 darts. However, he noted BODA is tackling the challenges with better structures, more partnerships and by using Region 5 games as a launch pad.

Meanwhile, Botswana’s squad for the regional championships includes seniors Letlhogela Mosepele, Mothusi Moakofi, Jimmy Moshokgo, Tshupo Ramotlhala, Tomeletso Poloka, Topo Mongweemang, Boipelo Masimele, Keneilwe Kabanna, Charity Mashiakgomo, Irene Otukile, Moabi Othapile and Malebogo Subule.

U25 comprises Thatayotlhe Robert, Theo Rantshabo, Botlhe Baliki, Lame Poloka, Rachel Moremi and Gaone Ishmael.

Veterans include George Lekang, Moitshupi Seomile, Arthur Jansen, Gaolatlhe Setlhare, Tebogo Lesaba and Florah Chikhwai.

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.