Auditor General
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NEWS: BOTSWANA FAILS EPIDEMIOLOGY TEST INDEPTH: AFRICA AND COVID-19: THE PAGE 2 ON COVID-19 LOCAL TRANSMISSION PAGE 11 SICK MAN OF GLOBALIZATION? August 23 - 29, 2020 EXCELLENCE IS STANDARD PRACTICE PRICE: P12.50 www.sundaystandard.info @SunStd_bw BoB still unable to account for missing Inside how government “large amounts” – Auditor General tried to hide the Alcohol BoB governor insists no money has been stolen Auditor General says BoB governor cannot account for Fund plunder “large amounts” Khama and his team hitching their campaign on governor’s statement SUNDAY STANDARD REPORTER SUNDAY STANDARD REPORTER For close to a decade, Botswana laims that billions of government tried to hide information that Pula have been stolen it was misappropriating funds collected from the government’s from alcohol drinkers under the Alcohol main account with the Levy – it has emerged. Bank of Botswana The Auditor General revealed this C week that for many years the fund was (BoB) took a new twist this week with the Auditor General stating shrouded in secrecy, and independent that the bank governor has failed auditors “had not been able to ascertain to account for missing “large that 80% of the levy which is allocated amounts” from the controversial directly to the Consolidated Fund and 10% account. to the Department of Gender Affairs in The account is currently at the the Ministry of Nationality, Immigration center of a money laundering in- and Gender Affairs fell within the scope vestigation by the Directorate of of the purpose of the Fund Order, namely, Intelligence and Security (DIS). collection of levies “---- to promote While DIS investigating offi - projects and activities designed to combat cers claim the former administra- alcohol abuse and minimise the effects of tion raided the account, BoB Gov- alcohol abuse ----“, as they did not have ernor Moses Pelaelo insists that no access to the records relating to the use of money has been stolen from the these funds by the said Ministries.” account. The revelation comes after a study by A high-level team made up of the Botswana Institute of Development Cherie Blair wife of former Brit- Policy Analysis (BIDPA) found that the ish Prime Minister Tony Blair and levy introduced on alcohol has failed Thuli Madonsela South Africa’s to achieve intended result – to restrict former Public Protector put to- consumption of alcoholic drinks. The gether by former President Lt Gen BIDPA report revealed that not only did Ian Khama and his South African it fail to reduce the alcohol consumption ally Bridgette Motsepe to challenge rate, the tariff actually forced drinkers into DIS claims latched on the BoB more desperate alternatives. One of the governor’s statement to support highlights of the BIDPA study was that in their campaign. terms of consumption, nothing much has The Auditor General’s report changed since the levy’s introduction, but made public on Thursday August due to the perception that the levy made 20th 2020 however revealed that the alcohol expensive, Batswana resorted to controversial government account using other forms to get intoxicated. with the central bank “remains BoB Governer Moses Pabalelo It has however emerged that the money open to doubt”, because transac- levied against beer drinkers to create a fund that would protect them from their tions “involving large amounts” Letebele said the credibility of the amounts.” that the DIS claim has been stolen Governor Moses Pelaelo to the “October 2018, as at March 2019, habit was diverted to other projects. cannot be accounted for. account remained “open to doubt” The “large amounts” that the by the previous administration. 2016/17 sitting of the Public Ac- the bank reconciliation statement In the report released this because of failure by BoB to ac- BoB cannot account for is how- The Auditor General says counts Committee that he would In her report, the Auditor General week, the Auditor General Pulane count for items “involving large ever nowhere near the P100 billion despite assurances by the bank have reconciled the accounts by CONTINUES ON PG 4 stated that she was required by law “to appoint an independent auditor to audit the accounts of the Fund. Accordingly, following the award of the tender, I had appointed the auditors to carry out the Deadly deliveries – report exposes Botswana’s maternal deaths scandal audit of the Fund for fi nancial years from 2010/2011 through to 2015/2016. The SUNDAY STANDARD REPORTER report into the country’s public fourth stages of labour in facilities, domiciliary visits as compared to 30% were caused by poor inter- nal and child mortality rates were auditors had consistently qualifi ed their health system only confi rmed what particularly in hospitals. As a result the number of deliveries per year.” vention and the other 30% caused not encouraging and, therefore, opinion on the accounts of the Fund in Batswana women who cannot af- they already knew - being poor and of inadequacies in the monitoring It further emerged that, “there by poor diagnosis.” much effort is needed to reduce respect of the following matters. - As ford medical aid and have to be at- pregnant carries more risk. of patients in labour, there was was no effective management of The audit confi rms earlier them drastically in order to achieve they did not have access to the records tended at government hospitals are The audit revealed that scores an increase in the occurrence of obstetric emergencies, as hospi- fi ndings by the United Nations the desired target . of the Botswana Unifi ed Revenue Service more likely to die from complica- of Batswana women suffer life al- complicated cases, some of which tals were not adequately monitor- that Botswana’s maternal and child The Auditor General’s report relating to the collection of levies on tions surrounding pregnancy and tering injuries or die during child- resulted in maternal deaths”, states ing and preventing complications. mortality rates were a major stum- also turned up congestion in hos- alcoholic beverages imported or locally childbirth than their counterparts birth because government hos- the audit report. Out of a total of nineteen cases bling block to the country achiev- pital wards. “Some health facili- produced, their audit procedures were who are treated at private hospi- pitals and medical workers skip “Domiciliary Care Health fa- reviewed from the Maternal Death ing Millenium Development Goals ties had patient numbers and beds restricted to the amounts rendered in the tals – an explosive audit report has safety practices known to head off cilities did not adequately carry out Audit Reports for the period 2014 (MDGs). beyond their prescribed carrying Fund’s ledgers. The differences in the levy revealed. disaster. domiciliary visits as most of them to 2016, 40% were caused by poor The former UN resident Coor- capacity, which was an indication For many Batswana the Audi- “There was inadequate moni- either did not conduct them at all monitoring of patients and pre- dinator Anders Pedersen revealed CONTINUES ON PG 2 tor General’s performance audit toring of mothers in the third and or conducted a smaller number of vention of complications while a few years ago that current mater- CONTINUES ON PG 4 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEATHER WEATHER SUNDAY STANDARD IS A MEMBER OF THE PHYSICAL ADDRESS: PHYSICAL ADDRESS FORECAST Max: 26°C Max: 28°C Max: 31°C BOTSWANA PRESS COUNCIL AND SUBSCRIBES Commerce Park, Plot 104, Rowland, Ngilichi House (Meriting Spar) Unit 6, Francistown & INFO GABORONE Min: 07°C Min: 08°C Min: 09°C TO THE BOTSWANA MEDIA CODE OF ETHICS Unit 21. 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E&OE. 2 Behind the News August 23 - 29, 2020 Letlole La Botswana fails epidemiology test Khama Rona rebuff s performed CEO’s P14 on Covid-19 local transmission poorest on million KHONANI ONTEBETSE virus was no longer viable because ‘rule of law’ & REUBEN PITSE it is still unclear as to how long it can survive,” a source said. benefi ts claim he COVID-19 Presiden- Sunday Standard had sought to he touted last MPHO KELEBOGE tial Task Force and the establish among others why those Ministry of Health slop- who were tested for COVID-19 week Letlole la Rona Limited has instituted piness in conducting test- during the random community ing on samples collected testing in that area did not receive Savouring what he considers to be his writ of summons against the suspended T victory against the government in the during a random community test- chief executive offi cer (CEO) Chikuni their results, why there was a delay- ing of more than 6000 people in “Butterfl y” case, former president Ian Shenjere-Mutiswa who is currently fac- ing in testing the samples, what the Mogoditshane has raised alarm Khama lamented precipitous decline in ing a disciplinary hearing. status of the results was and estab- this may have led to a spike in local the “rule of law” in a country whose Letlole la Rona slapped the CEO lish if it was true that portion of transmissions. executive leadership has been inherited with a writ of summons, seeking a court the samples were later conducted While details are sketchy as to by his nemesis and successor, President order declaring that the CEO is not at a laboratory in Palapye after why there was a delay in conduct- more than a month.