The current chaos at the Ministry of Education and Skills Development, which has resulted in a number of officials from the ministry’s Department of Student Placement of Welfare being interdicted, has delayed the beginning of the first semester at Botswana Accountancy College.
BAC registrar William Sakgatsa told The Telegraph that they were expecting at least 280 first year students to be sponsored by DSPW, but the students have not yet reported for school.
He however said that he does not know what could have caused the delay as they have not received any communication from the ministry.
But Sakgatsa revealed that some of the students have been phoning BAC and complaining that they are being led from pillar to post by the DSPW when they enquire about scholarships.
One of the students told The Telegraph that he has been making daily visits to DSPW to enquire about his scholarship only to be told that the officer who is supposed to help him is not in the office.
He later met other students at the DPSW who also complained that they have been getting conflicting answers from ministry officials.
Another student also said that she was told that she should go back home as the officers who are supposed to process her scholarship application have been interdicted. She said ministry officials told her to go back home and wait for an announcement to be made on the radio for them to come back.
The problem at the DPSW is also said to have affected students who are due to study in outside the country.
Public Relations Officer at the DPSW Godfrey Kalanke recently said the problem they have at the DPSW is not caused by the officers’ interdiction, but by the fact that the department has not received funds from government.
Meanwhile the Public Relations Officer at the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime Lenchwe Motshoganetsi has confirmed that investigations into the case are continuing.
He dismissed reports that DCEC has filed a report with the MoE that suggests there is no evidence of corruption.
“All I can say at this stage is that our investigations are continuing and we do not know when they will be over” he said.
Earlier this year, education minister Pelonomi Venson -Moitoi closed the DSPW indefinitely to allow investigations into numerous reports of fraud.
