It has emerged that the majority of beneficiaries of the government’s flagship agricultural empowerment programme, Thuo Letlotlo, were concentrated in Moshupa — the home village of former President Mokgweetsi Masisi.

Responding to a question in Ntlo ya Dikgosi from Kgosi Khumanego of Ngwaketse West, Acting Minister of Lands and Agriculture Edwin Dikoloti revealed that of the 36 projects funded under the Thuo Letlotlo programme, 13 — more than a third — were located in Moshupa District. This is despite the programme receiving a staggering 17,295 applications from across the country since its launch on April 24, 2024.

The figures show a sharp imbalance in the geographical distribution of project approvals. After Moshupa, the Boteti District followed with 12 funded projects, Kgatleng District with 7, and Okavango with 4. Several districts, including those in the Central and North West regions, received no funding at all.

Masisi championed the Thuo Letlotlo initiative as part of his broader rural development and citizen empowerment agenda before losing elections in 2024.

Minister Dikoloti added that while 760 applications had been approved after assessment, only 36 projects have so far been funded and implemented. 

Dikoloti said the implementation and assessment of applications had since been suspended to allow for a comprehensive review of the programme. “The review has started and is expected to be completed by the end of June 2025,” he told the House.

Launched with the aim of revitalizing agriculture and empowering Batswana in livestock production, Thuo Letlotlo was widely seen as a signature initiative of the Masisi administration.