good governance practices for the protection of human rights

dering in the construction industry, purchase and maintenance of vehicles, allocation
of government housing and of land, the issuance of licences and the
administration of welfare funds.
For example, in 1996, the Group was invited to investigate the procedures for receiving,
processing and settling claims by the Botswana Motor Vehicle Insurance
Fund. It also undertook a study of the procedure for the receipt and evaluation
of tenders and the award of contracts by the Tawana and Chobe Land Boards.
In 1996, it gave advice on the award and administration of major construction
contracts and the tendering procedures for supplies contracts.
The Directorate has also put through parliament a new code of ethics that requires
all parliamentarians to disclose their financial assets and to make this
information available for public scrutiny. Furthermore, the Directorate has
helped organizations like the Botswana Confederation of Commerce, Industry
and Manpower to draw up draft codes of ethics.
Finally, an extensive public awareness campaign has been carried out both by
the Directorate and by the media. The Directorate’s public education programme
emphasized the harm done by corruption, the fact that corruption involves stealing
the public’s money and the public’s duty to report corrupt behaviour by officials.
The Directorate has taken the anti-corruption battle to schools, the University,
ministries, cooperatives and other voluntary organizations such as trade
unions and churches. Radio programmes, posters, pamphlets and other promotional
items and magazines have been used. As a result, by 2000, more than half
the population was aware of the Directorate’s existence.
Impact on human rights and challenges
The Directorate focused public attention on corruption as a serious economic
and social problem in Botswana. Its work has also helped to reduce the highlevel
corruption involving top State personnel that confronted the country in
the early 1990s. However, petty corruption has emerged involving junior civil
servants. This is especially the case where authority has been delegated without
proper supervision and accountability, for example at the local government and
district council levels.
The fact that the Directorate is placed under and reports to the office of the President
presents opportunities and challenges for its work. On the one hand, critics
argue that this status compromises its independence and that it would be more
appropriate for such an agency to report directly to parliament. On the other, this
arrangement allows the political leadership to support the Directorate’s work and
to put the drive against corruption high on the country’s political agenda.
The Directorate relies on the Attorney General’s department’s ability to prosecute
the cases referred to it. However, that department’s capacities have not been
adequately strengthened to take on the additional case load, thus leading to delays
and inefficiencies in the anti-corruption effort. Also, the courts are not able
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