03/08/2025
*Opinion Piece by Hon. Keabetswe Pilane, Councillor for Taung West Ward, Gamalete Constituency*
Protecting Our Own: In Defence of DDT College of Medicine and Botswanaโs Healthcare Future
In a time when Botswanaโs healthcare system is overstretched and under-resourced, it baffles the mind and wounds the spirit to see a full-frontal, politically driven assault against DDT College of Medicine (DDTCOM)โa legally accredited, citizen-owned institution striving to fill the critical healthcare skills gap in our nation.
Let me state this unequivocally: DDTCOM is not a political entity, nor is it aligned with any political party. The College is run independently, with academic, health, and regulatory integrity at its core. Politics and the Collegeโs mission are mutually exclusive, and those seeking to use political rhetoric to destabilize its work are doing so at the expense of the nationโs health and development.
As the elected Councillor of Taung West Ward in the Gamalete Constituency, and a Board Member of Bamalete Lutheran Hospital, Iโve seen first-hand the crippling shortage of doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, and other allied healthcare workers. Our clinics and hospitals are crying out for support; yet, here we are, discrediting an institution that is doing the very work that government itself is struggling to do.
I speak not only as a leader but also as a concerned aunt, with a niece (A Dr. extending her studies) currently studying medicine in the Czech Republic, because our local options are few and fragile. Why should Botswanaโs children be forced abroad when solutions like DDTCOM exist right here, built by Batswana, for Batswana?
DDTCOM: A Legacy of Giving and Healing
What many donโt realize is that beyond the classroom walls and academic records, DDT College of Medicine is already transforming lives through service. Through its philanthropic arm, the Tlhoiwe & Tlhoiwe Foundation, the College actively operates free medical clinics across the countryโfrom
