The Botswana Republican Party has warned that the P33 billion forensic audit findings risk being turned into a political “witch-hunt” unless government handles the process carefully, professionally and within constitutional limits.
In a position paper released this week, the opposition party said while the reported findings of widespread corruption and governance failures are “deeply disturbing,” there is growing concern that sections of the ruling Umbrella for Democratic Change could use the audit process for political revenge rather than genuine institutional reform.
“The country requires calm, professional and constitutional governance reform rooted in evidence, legality and institutional strengthening,” the party stated.
The forensic audit, conducted by Alvarez & Marsal and handed to President Duma Boko on April 30, reportedly uncovered suspected losses amounting to P33 billion between 2014 and 2024 across dozens of public institutions.
According to the BRP, publicly released summaries suggest that more than 80 senior officials including ministers, permanent secretaries and chief executives together with over 150 contractors may have been linked to suspicious transactions, procurement irregularities and governance failures.
According to the BRP, publicly released summaries suggest that more than 80 senior officials including ministers, permanent secretaries and chief executives together with over 150 contractors may have been linked to suspicious transactions, procurement irregularities and governance failures.
The party said if the findings are confirmed, they point to “a deeper institutional and governance failure” that evolved over many years under successive governments.
The BRP placed primary political responsibility on the Botswana Democratic Party, arguing that the alleged collapse in procurement oversight, public financial controls and accountability systems developed during the BDP’s nearly six decades in power.
“The BRP rejects any attempt by the BDP to portray the current situation as merely the actions of a few isolated individuals,” the statement said.
However, the party also took aim at elements within the UDC, accusing some leaders of attempting to weaponise the audit findings for populist political gain.
“The BRP therefore rejects both the historical complacency of the BDP and the increasingly populist opportunism visible within elements of the UDC,” the statement added.
The party cautioned government against inflammatory rhetoric surrounding the audit, warning that aggressive public messaging could damage investor confidence and Botswana’s long-standing international governance reputation.
“Senior Government officials must however desist from driving an already overwhelmed populace into a frenzy by promising ‘Brutality and Devastation’ against perpetrators,” the BRP warned.
The party said Botswana still remains comparatively stronger than many African countries in governance and anti-corruption rankings and argued that the existence of the forensic audit itself demonstrates that accountability institutions are still functioning.
At the same time, the BRP warned that poorly managed communication surrounding the audit could trigger economic anxiety at a time when Botswana is already battling slowing diamond revenues, rising debt pressures and broader fiscal strain.
“The message to investors and the international community must not be that Botswana is collapsing,” the party said. “Rather, it must be that Botswana is confronting governance weaknesses transparently, constitutionally and institutionally before they become irreversible.”
The BRP backed criminal investigations and prosecutions where evidence exists, but stressed that the process must proceed independently and without political interference.
The party also called for sweeping reforms including full e-procurement systems, beneficial ownership disclosure, stricter conflict-of-interest rules and stronger oversight institutions such as the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime, parliamentary committees and the Auditor General.
It further argued that the forensic audit should become “a national turning point” focused on institutional renewal rather than “a media spectacle” or political vengeance.
