Speaker of the National Assembly Dithapelo Keorapetse has warned that politicised board appointments, weak oversight and poor governance culture continue to undermine Botswanaβs state-owned enterprises and public institutions.
Delivering a lecture on Corporate Governance Architecture at yesterdayβs 4th Governance Training 2026 hosted by Exclusive Human Capital Consultancy at Phakalane Golf Estate Hotel Resort, Keorapetse said Parliament remains increasingly concerned about governance failures within state-owned enterprises, many of which consume billions in public funds while struggling with accountability and operational efficiency.
He said Botswana currently has more than 60 state-owned enterprises receiving between P4 billion and P5 billion in subventions, making strong governance and oversight critical. According to Keorapetse, many public entities continue to operate in βgovernance grey zonesβ characterised by weak disclosure systems, poor internal controls and politically influenced appointments instead of merit-based selections.
Keorapetse said Parliamentβs oversight committees, including the Public Accounts Committee and the Committee on Statutory Bodies and State-Owned Enterprises, have uncovered recurring governance failures ranging from procurement irregularities and missing financial statements to weak audit systems and poor asset management.
He further cautioned board members against allowing executives or political interests to capture institutions, stressing that boards must remain independent and grounded in ethics, transparency and accountability. He also called for stricter board competency standards, mandatory governance training and stronger enforcement of conflict-of-interest disclosures.
The Speaker said governance failures ultimately hurt ordinary citizens, warning that repeated bailouts of struggling entities divert resources away from essential services such as health, education and infrastructure development. He urged institutions to rebuild public trust through ethical leadership and adaptive governance systems capable of responding to todayβs economic and political challenges.
