Two members of Sankoyo Management Trust have been suspended from the board of trustees following an alleged illicit loan to former Acting North West District Commissioner, Boammaaruri Otlhogile, who is now Deputy District Commissioner at Maun Administration Authority (MAA).
The Board Chairperson, Kempho Kedikilwe, who at the time of loan issuance was Vice Chairperson and additional board member, Monthusi Sinvula, who then was the board chairperson, were suspended from the board last week over the matter.
Board Secretary, Nkgololang Samakata, confirmed the suspension noting that Sankoyo community would decide the duo’s fate next week in a kgotla meeting.
“We called a meeting which will take place on the 17th. The main purpose is to discuss the loan that was issued to Inter Investment, an action which violated the constitution of the Trust. Further it is the board’s membership which will make a decision on those who violated the rules,” explained Samakata in an interview this week.
The meeting is regarding a P150 000 loan which was allegedly issued to Otlhogile last year August with a promise that he will pay back by end of October, 2022, but failed.
However Otlhogile is said to have instead written a letter dated 23 December, 2022 that he will only be able to repay the loan hopefully mid January, 2023.
The letter is said to have been written at the time other board members were questioning the loan which was allegedly done in secret between three board members and Otlhogile. One of the said members, Galesenngwe Haku, then Trust manager, has since resigned albeit due to other reasons. Two others are the suspended duo.
“Due to unforeseen circumstances beyond my control, I could not manage to meet the timeline. I write to humbly request for an extension up to mid-January 2023 whereupon I would have sorted everything out,” Otlhogile wrote to the Trust.
When reached for comment, Otlhogile did not respond to the calls or questions sent to him.
His supervisor, Thabang Waloka who is the current District Commissioner (DC), declined to discuss the matter as he said he was still on leave.
The DC office chairs the technical advisory committee (TAC) whose role is to advise and supervise the running of community based natural resource management (CBNRM), that includes community development Trusts.
Soon after being appointed the new DC last August, Waloka has been seen addressing communities in the Okavango delta and some of the issues raised were that his office especially through then acting commissioner have failed them and Waloka has since promised to look into the concerns and hopefully resolve them soon.