Botswana Federation of Public, Private and Parastatals Sector Unions (BOFEPUSU) has urged the UDC government to restructure the Directorate of Public Service Management (DPSM) in order to tackle systemic corruption in the public sector.
To achieve that, the Secretary General of BOFEPUSU, Robert Rabasimane said the new government should reassess the DPSM structure and appoint a new director.
Rabasimane criticised the current director’s competence in managing the public sector, which he believes has contributed to the present corruption.
He said the DPSM’s core responsibilities—fostering employer-employee relations, job grading, recruitment, and performance reviews—have been neglected, leading to ineffective human resource management.
He expressed concern over the lack of merit-based recruitment, pointing out that some individuals have been promoted to positions for which they lack the necessary qualifications.
He stated, ‘With a diploma, the highest position one can attain is D3, yet some individuals are functioning in higher cadres without any justification for their recruitment.’
Furthermore, he urged the current management to prioritise the development of new policies to provide the DPSM with clear direction.
Rabasimane noted that the existing management practices have led to subpar performance due to the absence of rewards and incentives, advocating for a system that incorporates extrinsic motivations such as fair wages, merit-based appointments, and promotions.
Rabasimane also raised concerns about the DPSM’s conflict resolution capabilities, saying the rise in litigation reflects deep inefficiencies in the human resource framework that negatively impact public sector performance.
While a public service commission exists, he said the framework remains dominated by the DPSM, making it difficult for employees to raise concerns about their employer.
He called for a reformed and autonomous framework, emphasising that the commission must operate independently and that its commissioners should possess expertise in welfare issues.
To tackle these challenges, Rabasimane mentioned that they have engaged the Minister of State President Moeti Mohwasa on these issues.
From an academic perspective, Professor Zibani Maundeni, a Political Science lecturer at the University of Botswana, said that eradicating corruption in the public sector necessitates the removal of senior officials, as a corrupt system cannot reform itself.
He emphasises that the government, particularly through the presidential office, must address systemic corruption by removing senior officials because most of them were not appointed through competency.
Maundeni attributes the challenges within the DPSM to the regimes of Khama and Masisi, which fostered favoritism and nepotism. To combat this culture, he insists that leadership must promote strong anti-corruption values and prioritize merit-based recruitment.
He further asserts that the appointment of the director of DPSM and the Permanent Secretary of the President should be based on merit, which would instill accountability and integrity, ultimately curbing corruption. Such merit-based appointments would empower senior officials to hold the President accountable and reduce the issues associated with direct appointments by the President.
He highlighted a significant flaw in the recruitment process for senior officials, noting that their contractual employment status may foster corruption, as these officials might engage in sycophantic behavior to secure their positions.
He emphasized that the regimes of Khama and Masisi have established a practice of appointing senior officials based on political loyalty, contrasting this with the Seretse and Masire administrations, where appointments were made based on merit to curb corruption in the public sector.
The authority to appoint senior officials lies with the President, and these positions are filled on a contractual basis.
Furthermore, addressing the inefficiencies within the DPSM, Maundeni stated that the presence of the Directorate of Intelligence and Security (DIS) undermined the ability of the Directorate of Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC) to combat corruption.
He noted that during the Khama and Masisi regimes, DIS employed intimidation tactics to prevent the DCEC from conducting investigations, despite the latter’s mandate to monitor, expose, and prevent corruption.
Maundeni asserted that the new administration must implement genuine reforms, as the DIS continues to operate under the same corrupt leadership, and it is imperative to appoint new leaders who will promote ethical conduct within our institutions.
