Recently, the Botswana Confederation of Commerce Industry and Manpower, representing organized business, in conjunction with the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime, held a workshop targeting the Indian Business community in Botswana.
Collaborating with the Indian High Commission, these two organizations briefed the Indian businesses about the importance of proper ethics in conducting business.
Specifically, the workshop highlighted the negative impacts of corruption.
We think DCEC and BOCCIM should hold such educational workshops more frequently, targeting the broader segments of communities that are involved in commerce in Botswana.
Like the Indians, the Chinese are a force to reckon with in Botswana’s business.
They also should be approached and workshopped on the negative impacts of corruption, not only on the economy of Botswana, but also on the reputation of their countries of origin.
Embassies and High Commissions of the said communities should play a significant role by pointing out that in their individual ways, such nationals represent their countries of origin.
And we are glad that the Indian High Commissioner to Botswana found it fit for himself to be personally present at the workshop that was organized for the Indian community.
Going forward, we want to point out that DCEC and BOCCIM are right to fight corruption through public education. Arresting and prosecuting people for corruption cannot win the battle against corruption.
The key lies in public education.
It is important to emphasise that cutting corners to win tenders and contracts is ultimately not sustainable in the long run.
It is also important that businesses honour their obligations like tax payments and compliance with all the other laws of the country.
It is our hope that the Indians will not feel that they are being picked on.
Rather they should feel reassured that being specifically targeted on such an important campaign goes to show what an important community they are in Botswana, especially in business.
The Indians have been in Botswana as business people long before independence. They have done a lot for themselves and for this country.
Some of them were born here, speak our language and live among us, including in the very remotest parts of this country.
They have been developmental partners in their own right, assisting government in employment creation, not to speak of the many corporate and social responsibilities as undertaken by their families, trusts and businesses.
For the relationship to continue, it is important that Indians living in Botswana play their role as expected of guests.
They should do whatever is in their power to help Botswana government and indeed BOCCIM to reduce possible ill feelings of resentment and envy towards themselves among citizens.
That they can do if they treat their citizen employees with respect and dignity.
That they can do if they help government reduce the currently obscene disparity in their living standards and those of citizens.
For time immemorial, there have been complaints that Indian business people pay citizens very low wages as to treat them as modern day slaves.
We have no idea whether this is true or not.
But Indian businesses in Botswana would certainly do without such a negative perception.
We encourage them to work on it.
Lately, to those complaints have been added subtle racism and discrimination towards Batswana, especially among the younger members of the Indian community many of whom seem totally unable to handle instant success that is so much a character of many of their businesses.
Sociologists call it cultural shock.
As the key institution representing the Indians both here and back home, it is our hope that the Indian High Commission will continue to engage the Indians so that they continue to be partners of Botswana in our march to prosperity.
It would be foolhardy if we continued to gloss over the many unwieldy influences that have the potential to strain relations between the Indians and Batswana.
We have to tackle those head on.
And we have BOCCIM and DCEC from whom we can take the cue.
Private discussions reveal that there is an increase in the breakup of Indian families as a result of extra marital relations with Batswana.
Again we cannot say whether this is right or wrong. We hope it is wrong.
It is also commonplace nowadays that Indian men who would have left their families back home choose not to go back or have their families join them here once they settle, instead opting to hit the road with young Batswana girls.
That cannot be good for the long-term sustainability of the Indian institutions in Botswana.
It also has the potential to strain the solid relations that Botswana has enjoyed with India.
We call on Indians who come to Botswana not to disengage from their rich cultural heritage which espouses strong family values.
In fact, it is our belief that as Batswana we have a lot to learn from Indians who come here, not only commercially but also in how they uphold their strong and deep family values as espoused by the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi, among others.
Doing so is in Botswana’s interest.
Finally, we once again call on BOCCIM and DCEC to continue with the good work they have started.
It is our hope that the outreach will become more frequent and more national in outlook.
