For the last several months, we’ve been listening, watching and waiting upon the outcomes of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and certain parliamentary select committees looking into the operations of certain large scale government sponsored projects and certain national parastatal bodies.
Out of PAC hearings, it’s been reported via the media of a government loans recovery account opened two years ago, in an irregular fashion, that is to say, without the authorization of the Accountant General. This bank account, set up to recover monies owed to government by Batswana who’ve benefited from tertiary education sponsorships, has never been audited.
It’s been reported that the balance of this account sits at P17 million and, upon further examination by the PAC, it emerged that the signatories for this particular account have either gone into retirement or┬ábeen transferred to another ministry. The PAC identified a number of other ‘irregularities’ with regard to various ministries and their handling of public funds and its report was adopted in its entirety by parliament, despite an objection by the Minister of Defense.
Also much anticipated by the public were the findings of the Parliamentary Select Committee on the Botswana Development Corporation (BDC)/Shanghai Fengyue Glass Project in Palapye.
This multi-million dollar project, spearheaded by BDC, has been making headline news since 2011. Leaked reports by BDC insiders led to the revelation that all was not well at our nation’s agency for commercial and industrial development and mention was made in particular of its Palapye Glass Project.
Revelations and allegations of corporate impropriety and corruption abounded in the press and on the street. For months, BDC was the hot-topic at dinner parties and local drinking holes. Owing to the fact that the Government of Botswana owns 100 percent of the issued share capital of the Corporation, the public and their parliamentarians felt owed an explanation.
Stemming from that, the corporation’s board put out a press release in early 2012 that said, “The Board of Directors of Botswana Development Corporation Limited met on the 19th December, 2011, to review progress on the implementation of the Fengyue Glass Manufacturing Project in Palapye. Notwithstanding challenges, the Board noted that the glass manufacturing project was nearing completion (72 percent completion rate).” And further that, “The Board appreciates full commitment and support by the BDC partner, Shanghai Fengyue Glass Co. Ltd (BVI) and other stakeholders towards ensuring successful completion and commissioning of the project. The project is expected to be completed in November this year (2012).”┬á And finally, “The Board wishes to assure the business community and the public of its commitment to principles of good corporate governance. The Board is currently studying the contents of the ENS forensic audit report and shall make its pronouncements on the report in due course.”
Such pronouncements were never forthcoming and, needless to say, the glass factory remains incomplete and inoperative. Thus when finally a parliamentary select committee was convened, and concluded in its observation that the project was “premised on poor due diligence, doubtful technical project partner selection, a litany of project implementation violations, and doubtful and reckless project fund disbursement”.
Batswana were not surprised, it appears in this instance that the media had efficiently and effectively played its role as watchdog and brought a key and vital issue to the attention of the nation. Parliament, again despite the blocking maneuvers of some of its members, has diligently provided oversight, now we await events to see if the arm of government responsible for the carrying out of the accountability proposition is as similarly tireless.
The Parliamentary Select Committee investigating the Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) and the country’s declining performance with regards to the beef industry, has also begun its assignment. Yet another working group convened for the purposes of examining the who, what, when, where and how of national funds being perchance wasted/mismanaged/diverted/embezzled/misappropriated/pilfered and purloined.
While the number of these taskforces is cause for concern (or outright alarm), it could then again be said to be a positive indicator with respect to the health and maturity of this parliamentary democracy; if “the principal role of Parliament is to make laws for the peace, order and good governance of the Republic of Botswana… and to execute this mandate by scrutinizing the conduct of Government to ensure that rules, guidelines, laws and policies are adhered to… and similarly ensure that the customary and cultural heritage is preserved and blended with the laws of Botswana” (Hon. Mokgweetsi Masisi 02/03/11) then it would appear that parliament is meeting its supervisory and surveillance role.
Oversight, however, doesn’t automatically assure accountability and in the run up to general election (the only time voters have the direct means of holding elected representatives to account) answerability, responsibility, liability and the culpability of political leadership must be examined, discussed, debated and graded.
In theory, ministers and Cabinet are collectively answerable to parliament (the legislature) though in practice this line of accountability is, more often than not, quite weak in that accountability is an unequal relationship between accounting (parliament) and accountable parties (ministers and cabinet).
In many political arrangements, the strength of political parties means that accountability to the party becomes more important than accountability to the electorate.
As Butler wrote in 2009 “the past 100 years have seen a mostly irreversible growth in the power of the executive branch around the world”. How many times in the last couple of years have we seen ruling party politicians disciplined by the party, while rarely have we seen Ministers punished and/or chastised in the same way? In conversation with a ruling party MP, when I inquired as to what we the public can expect out of these various select committees rather than the bill for their teas, lunches and sitting allowances; he answered that they as parliamentarians have played their role, and that the accountability mandate lay with the executive, a branch of government that holds far too much power.
The public has been assured by the Minister of Trade and Industry that those implicated in corruption and wrong-doing in the BDC/Shanghai Fengyue Palapye glass project will be taken to task and brought to book. “Let me state that Government is not sitting idle…DCEC (The Directorate on Economic Crime and Corruption) is investigating this matter,” she told parliament.┬á
With regards to BMC, we await the committee’s final report. We hope that the irregularities uncovered by the PAC will not simply be swept under the carpet and sat on until we’re distracted by the next scandal.
To be clear, political accountability┬áis that owed by elected politicians to the public┬áfor representing (that is, advancing the wellbeing or best interests of) the public, not their own interests. This means that elected officials are accountable for┬á HYPERLINK “https://sites.google.com/site/democraticf8/representativeness” \t “_blank” political representativeness (how well they listen and subsequently act for us) and for their┬á HYPERLINK “https://sites.google.com/site/democraticf8/credibility” \t “_blank” political credibility (how well they keep their promises and pledges) and┬á HYPERLINK “https://sites.google.com/site/democraticf8/competence” \t “_blank” political competence (political performance which advances societal wellbeing)┬áwhile in office.┬á
Come October 2014, we Batswana can hold our elected representatives directly accountable if the executive will not. Should we then vote non-performers back into office, then we only have ourselves to blame.
