Kgathi misled Parliament

Mmegi Editor | Friday December 12, 2014 11:05

He was responding to a question from the Members of Parliament for Gabane-Mankgodi, Major General Pius Mokgware, on tenders awarded to the company.

In response to a question from the former commander of the ground forces of the Botswana Defence Force (BDF), Kgathi denied knowledge of the tenders to supply army and Botswana Police Service with vehicles or any other services. Curiously, Kgathi was in cabinet in 2010 when former minister Lesego Motsumi made public the names of companies that have benefited from BDF tenders, amongst them Seleka Springs (Pty) Ltd. 

Motsumi was then the acting minister of Defence, Justice and Security and answering on behalf of the substantive minister, Ramadeluka Seretse. In response to a question posed by MP for Francistown South Wynter Mmolotsi, she revealed that many of the directors of these companies were members of the ruling Botswana Democratic Party. Motsumi was subsequently removed as minister and specially elected MP, and given a diplomatic posting.

Four years down the line, Kgathi claims ignorance of such an important piece of information. Wherever she is, Motsumi must be pinching herself wondering what has happened to honesty in this august House for which members have taken oath to be ‘honourable’ and to serve this country with diligence, and to protect the Constitution of Botswana.

It is also disturbing that just a few weeks after being appointed to head this sensitive ministry that includes national security, Kgathi is already hiding information that is in the public domain. What then of the information which is not yet in public? We should brace ourselves for the worst, for, this is a ministry where institutions have in the past failed to account using the ‘for security reasons’ as their defence.

This is a minister who is in charge of our security and budget expenditure for these secretive organisations, and their dealings. Knowing Kgathi, this is one minister who has over the years displayed some kind of contempt or bad attitude towards opposition MPs.

What Kgathi should have done was simple; to refer Parliament to Motsumi’s 2010 answer, as ministers normally do when a similar questions are asked. This would have averted suspicions, or any view that Kgathi has no respect for the National Assembly or the people he is serving both as MP and as minister. It would also not be wrong to take a position that Kgathi is going to promote secrecy in the civil service, particularly in the army, something that is likely to create a breeding ground for corruption.

We urge Kgathi to redeem himself and apologise for misleading Parliament and the nation.

 

Today’s thought

“Truth never damages a cause that is just.”  –  Mahatma Gandhi