3 hours agoBoard disavows CEO amid claims of character assassination against EX-boss

The Gambling Authority of Botswana finds itself in the midst of a serious governance crisis after revelations that its Acting CEO, now confirmed CEO, launched an unauthorized and malicious campaign aimed at damaging the reputation of his predecessor. In a legal notice dated July 23, 2026, attorneys representing former CEO Emolemo Peter Kesitilwe demanded P400,000 in damages, accusing Acting CEO Moruntshi Kemorwale of orchestrating a character assassination that has compromised Kesitilwe’s international reputation. The conflict traces back to a letter sent in November 2025 by Kemorwale to the Gaming Regulators Africa Forum (GRAF).

In that letter, Kemorwale alleged that the government had initiated forensic audits and that the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC) was actively investigating Kesitilwe. He urged the regional body to distance itself from the former CEO to preserve institutional credibility. Yet, in a striking statement on June 8, 2026, Plato Gaoboi, Chairperson of the Gambling Authority’s Board, publicly distanced the board from Kemorwale’s actions.

“These communications were neither authorized, approved, mandated, nor adopted by the Board,” Gaoboi said. The board acknowledged that the statements could be interpreted as imputing improper conduct and described these aspects of the communication as regrettable. Kesitilwe, who only learned of the letters months after they circulated, accused Kemorwale of abusing office and damaging the Authority’s reputation through public institutional discord.

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“No court of law has convicted me of wrongdoing, and no formal disciplinary process has concluded with findings against me,” he declared. Further undermining Kemorwale’s claims, GRAF President Reuben Mabutho Zwane responded that the Authority had been previously consulted and raised no objections to Kesitilwe’s participation as a speaker at their conference. Zwane also dismissed suggestions of financial impropriety linked to sponsorship, noting that the conference organizers—not Kesitilwe’s current employer, the African iGaming Alliance—originated the idea.

The dispute threatens to tarnish the regulator’s reputation, which is currently under a forensic audit by Alvarez & Marsal. Kesitilwe, who has served on the boards of both GRAF and the International Association of Gaming Regulators (IAGR), insists that these unsubstantiated claims were deliberately intended to disrupt his professional engagements across more than twenty African jurisdictions. The Board has pledged to review how the unauthorized communication was issued to prevent a recurrence.

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