NFTRC Institutionalises Fight Against Corruption

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NFTRC Institutionalises Fight Against Corruption

As part of government’s broader plan to combat the corruption plague, National Food Technology Research Centre (NFTRC) Corruption Prevention Committee (CPC) and the Ministry of Agricultural Development and Food Security (MoA)’s Corruption Prevention Unit (CPU) on March 2, 2017 held a meeting with staff.

The objective of the meeting was to sensitise NFTRC staff members on the functions of CPC and how they are expected to use it.

The representatives from MoA were Head of CPU, Mr Simon Moepeng, Internal Investigator   Mr Reynold Kebone Modisa Mothupi and Senior Corruption Officer Mr Joseph Gabosetswe.

Mr Gabosetswe kick-started the meeting by describing corruption as the use of ones position for personal gain.

^{MoA Head of CPU,  Mr Simon Moepeng (standing) , Senior  Corruption Officer Mr Joseph Gabosetswe (left), Internal Investigator Mr Reynold  Kebone Modisa Mothupi (second from left) and NFTRC CPC Chairperson Dr Kwape during the meeting}.

Mr Moepeng said that even though Botswana had an excellent record with Transparency International, that continues to rank Botswana among the least corrupt countries in Africa and the rest of the world, the country is deteriorating everyday especially by “back door” issues’. He said therefore as citizens of a country that aims at sustainable development, we should not just fold arms and watch.

He summed up that the Procument, Human Resources and Finance departments are the most affected areas. He advised officers in the said fields to always be careful in their daily duties to avoid finding themselves caught up in corruption cases that are normally handled by Executive Management, police and Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC) respectively.

NFTRC CPC Chairperson, Dr Lemogang Kwape said the main objective of the committee is to ensure that the operations of the organisation are carried out in a corruption-free environment, characterised by strict adherence to existing institutional and legal frameworks as well as ethical infrastructure.

^{NFTRC CPC members : Dr Lemogang Kwape(left) Ms Annah Z. Nkepe (second from left) Mrs Anna Nkwe -Mosele (middle), Dr Tebo Maseko (second from right) Mr Selalelo Mpotokwane (right)}

The committee comprises Mr Selalelo Mpotokwane as the Secretary and Dr Tebo Maseko as the Vice Secretary, Mrs Anna Nkwe-Mosele, Mr Omphile Phokoje and Ms Annah Z. Nkepe as additional members.

In an interview with NFTRC’s Weekly Bulletin, Dr Kwape said that CPC members are currently familiarising themselves with CPC’s templates (plan, report, risk assessment) and working on finalising the CPC policy statement and a plan for the year 2017/18.

He encouraged the staff to support the CPC and to also be on the lookout for activities or deeds that can perpetuate corruption.

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