Zunaid Moti schools deal could cost Botswana $1.5 billion
Botswana's opposition party alleges the government is committing $1.5 billion to a schools and clinics program linked to South African businessman Zunaid Moti, which they claim should cost significantly less, raising concerns of state capture. Parliament's Public Accounts Committee is considering an intervention, while a finance official referred budget questions to another ministry. The first facility, named after President Duma Boko, has already been launched.
Why it matters
This potentially exposes significant corruption and misuse of public funds in Botswana, impacting public services and governance, and highlights concerns about foreign business influence in state affairs. The allegations could lead to political instability and public distrust.
Botswana's main opposition party has accused the government of preparing to commit the country to more than 20 billion pula, about $1.49 billion, over the life of a schools and clinics programme linked to the South African businessman Zunaid Moti, for infrastructure the party says should cost roughly 3.6 billion pula, or about $268 million.
The Botswana Congress Party made the claim in a statement this week, days after President Duma Boko launched the first facility built under the programme in Gaborone on Saturday, Sept. 5. The party said the country must confront the possibility of state capture, the term used across southern Africa for the alleged takeover of state decision-making by private interests, according to the Gaborone newspaper Mmegi, which first reported the allegations on Tuesday, Sept. 8.
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