The controversy surrounding the Government’s partnership with Africa Hero to develop schools, clinics and other public infrastructure is deepening with the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) and the Botswana Public Employees Union (BOPEU) separately demanding full disclosure of the deal.
The two organisations have welcomed the construction of public infrastructure but are questioning what Botswana is committing itself to in return, who ultimately carries the financial risks and whether the arrangement has been subjected to proper public scrutiny.
Their positions put growing pressure on the government of President Duma Boko to disclose the terms of an arrangement that has attracted attention because of its reported links to businessman Zunaid Moti. In its position paper, the BDP said it supports efforts to build schools and clinics faster and more efficiently, but warned that development should not become a justification for secrecy.
‘If this arrangement is genuinely good for Botswana, transparency will strengthen it, not weaken it,’ the party said. At the centre of the controversy is the Government’s explanation that it has spent ‘nothing’ and merely provided idle land, while reports and comments attributed to Moti indicate a financing structure in which Africa Hero funds construction and Government subsequently pays through a lease or rental arrangement.
The BDP argues that ‘nothing today’ does not necessarily mean ‘no cost, ever’. The party says Government has separately indicated that it will provide teachers, nurses, medicines and operational budgets, while reports point to a 17-year lease-to-own structure. The BDP therefore wants Government to disclose the total lifetime cost of the arrangement, including staffing, maintenance, utilities and other obligations. It also wants clarity on whether the project is a donation, sponsorship, lease, lease-to-own arrangement or public-private partnership.The party further questions what changed after the Ministry of Finance reportedly reviewed an earlier version of the proposal, raised concerns over its financial implications and favoured open competitive bidding.
The Moti connection has added another layer to the controversy. The BDP points to public reports that Zunaid Moti supported the Umbrella for Democratic Change’s 2019 election campaign and that Africa Hero is linked to the Moti Group. While the BDP stops short of alleging wrongdoing, it argues that such connections make transparency even more important.
BOPEU has now joined the demand for answers. The union said major development partnerships must not expose Botswana to undisclosed financial, legal or contractual risks.BOPEU is demanding disclosure of the legal and financial structure of the partnership, the value of Government commitments, the source and quantum of financing, the projects and locations involved, ownership arrangements, Government guarantees, concessions, tax exemptions and any contingent liabilities.
The union also wants Government to disclose the long-term maintenance costs, repayment arrangements, termination provisions and implications for future public budgets. BOPEU says the infrastructure question cannot be separated from employment.
‘Clinics and schools are not only buildings; they are workplaces,’ the union argues. It wants clarity on whether facilities will be staffed through permanent public-service posts or contract and outsourced arrangements, and whether Government has budgeted for the salaries of teachers, nurses and support staff.BOPEU warns that a clinic without nurses or a school without teachers is ‘an asset in name only’.Both organisations are therefore demanding answers before the partnership is expanded nationally.
The BDP wants Parliament and its oversight committees to scrutinise the programme, while BOPEU wants organised labour involved in decisions carrying implications for public finances, employment and public services.