The launch of the Duma Boko School in Gaborone’s Block 7 should have been a moment of national celebration.
We desperately need modern schools, clinics and innovative approaches to infrastructure development.
The speed with which the facility was delivered has impressed many and demonstrated what can be achieved when public and private actors work together.
Yet the project has also sparked a controversy that the government cannot afford to ignore.
The central issue is not the school itself. It is the unanswered questions surrounding who is paying for it, under what arrangement, and what obligations Botswana may ultimately assume in the future.
Transparency is not an obstacle to investment, it is the foundation of public trust.The school may be impressive, but public confidence will ultimately depend not on how quickly it was built, but on how openly the project is explained.
Reports, statements and public commentary have produced differing explanations, ranging from philanthropy and private investment to public-private partnership models and lease-to-own arrangements. The resulting uncertainty has fueled speculation and suspicion.
That uncertainty is compounded by the prominent role played by South African businessman Zunaid Moti, whose friendship with President Duma Boko and previous support for the UDC have become part of the public debate. Opposition parties and some members of the public have raised concerns about governance, procurement and the potential for undue influence.
The government and African Hero insist that no public funds will be used to repay the Block 7 facility.
If that is indeed the case, then the simplest way to end the controversy may be full disclosure. The public wants to know the funding model, ownership structure, contractual obligations and plans for future schools and clinics.
Transparency is not an obstacle to investment, it is the foundation of public trust.The school may be impressive, but public confidence will ultimately depend not on how quickly it was built, but on how openly the project is explained.
