The Botswana Housing Corporation (BHC) board was dissolved on June 2026 because it was felt there was no sense of urgency to deliver government’s ambitious housing projects.
Parliament was briefed recently that one of the government’s key priorities was the delivery of 100,000 housing units within three years, with the envisaged Single Housing Authority expected to spearhead this initiative.
However, the Minister of Water and Human Settlement said, despite numerous policy direction and guidance provided by the Ministry, BHC’s direction, approach, and sense of urgency did not align with the government’s expectations or priorities.
“In the circumstances, it became necessary to part ways with the Board in order to safeguard the achievement of this national priority,” the Minister said.
“The Minister evoked section 6 (3) of Botswana Housing Corporation Act which states that; Notwithstanding the provision of subsection {2), the Minister may at any time for reasons that appear to him to warrant such action remove a member from Office.”
Water and Human Settlement minister, Onneetse Ramogapi, revealed this in response to a question in Parliament.
He was responding to Molepolole North Member of Parliament, Arafat Khan, who had asked the Minister to state the reasons and circumstances that led to the dissolution of BHC’s Board of Directors. The MP also wanted to know the specific provisions of the BHC Act or any other applicable legislation that empower him to appoint or remove a Chief Executive Officer, including an Acting Chief Executive Officer, following the dissolution of the Board.
In response, the Minister stated that Section 4 (1) of the Botswana Housing Corporation Act (Cap. 74:03) provides for the appointment of a Board comprising not fewer than seven and not more than 10 members.
These members, he revealed, should possess the knowledge and experience necessary to contribute to the successful direction of the affairs and operations of the Corporation.
Furthermore, Section 4(3) of the Act provides that, subject to any special or general directions of the Minister, the Board is responsible for the overall direction of the affairs of the Corporation. In addition, the power to appoint includes the power to remove, “is a core rule of statutory construction”.
“Under the Interpretation Act No. 20 of 1984 of Botswana, this means that any authority granted the power to make an appointment is also presumed to have the power to suspend, dismiss or re-appoint that individual, unless a contrary intention appears,” he reasoned.
The Minister said the actions taken were necessitated by exceptional circumstances arising from the Corporation’s failure to effectively align its operations and strategic direction with the government’s national housing priorities, notwithstanding repeated guidance and policy direction from the Ministry.
“I therefore, assure this Honourable House that due process was observed throughout, and that every decision was guided by the overarching objective of restoring effective governance, strengthening institutional performance, and accelerating the delivery of the Government’s housing programme for the benefit of the people of Botswana.”