SONA - A regrettable adulation!

As alluded to in the 2023 State of the Nation Address by President Mokgweetsi Masisi, economic growth in Botswana remains strong with growth forecast to be 5 percent in 2023 - 2024.

According to professional standards of economics, a national economy that grows by 4.5 percent and beyond is indicative of a healthy economy. Thus the growth forecast spoken of by the president confirms that Botswana economy is pleasing and continues to grow.

In fact, Botswana is now routinely among the fastest- growing countries in the world, as repeatedly espoused by the BDP that it is destined to make Botswana a ‘ High Income Country’.

But even though Botswana being considered to possess higher economic development status, this has not helped to transform the poverty and suffering level of Botswana’s population.

The 2022 state of the nation address does not have applicable level of economic development to impact on the lives of the citizens. There is no strong economic alternative in the President’s speech to properly cater for or assist the jobless or handicapped or even the disadvantaged youth who are seeking ways of survival.

Yet so many Batswana are suffering in the true sense of the word. Many Batswana are still neck deep in poverty. Hundreds of thousands of Batswana live below the poverty line in a life that can be best described as an ordinary lifestyle of merely surviving.

RAP bemoans the uncaring attitude of the BDP political system that does not provide accountable dividends of governance to the masses; many Batswana are without food in some instances, without employment, without infrastructures, without security; a situation that begs for improved life for all Batswana.

It is currently estimated that 30 percent of the population is living on less than USD 1 a day ( African Economic Outlook Report). Life is painful even as many struggle for survival and meaningful life. The huge involvement of young Batswana in the migration surge to Europe and other parts of the world is as a result of their endless quest for improved lifestyle which seems to have eluded them in the land of their birth.

This scenario is so in the midst of plenteous resources in the country. It is against this background that Real Alternative Party finds the 2022 state of nation address a regrettable adulation.

It would seem that the state of the nation address is being used as a scenario for notable political gaming and exchange tool of lamentations between the elite and political class.

With this paper RAP provides insight into the socioeconomic impediments which have hindered Botswana from forging ahead towards economic development.

A careful analysis of the prevailing and ongoing situation in Botswana reveals that a lot of socio- economic failures are elicited by political factors and not by environmental, location or the absence of resources, hence sum.

An obvious assessment of the Botswana economy shows there exists absolute lack of political will by the BDP State, of ensuring economic investment for a viable source of revenue and socio- economic development for the people.

Investments in economic and commercial ventures, industries for manufacturing, infrastructural development, and projects that would create jobs for the many young Batswana who continue to be caught in the web of idleness and desperation is long overdue.

With no real investment in the above mentioned areas, including good academic sectoral development, Botswana as a country is ideally run down in such a measure that impedes proper economic development as well as unleashes economic hardship on the people.

Further there are cases of various governmental projects which eventually just serve the personal interest of leaders or those that have been awarded to as a political reward or patronage.

When analysing the planning processes in various sectors of the economy, it can be noted that the implementation and evaluation of extent of performance of plans is not carried out timely, leading to poor execution of projects.

Contracts are awarded, projects are embarked upon, but often times there is laxity from the government follow up teams to assess the level of implementation and evaluation of quality of work done.

Sometimes, what scuttles some good plans is the giving of such plans including projects contracts to political cronies as a form of settlement, thereby no checks for implementation and evaluation of quality of work done is applied.

This familiar occurrence has become a socioeconomic debacle impeding Botswana economic growth and development.

Corruption and money laundering remain the undoing and unmaking of the Botswana economic growth and development. Corruption has become a culture endemic in the systemic running of the national economy under BDP rule.

Funds earmarked for economic development projects are summarily looted by the political and contractor kleptomaniacs ( the Covid- 19 procurement and the north- south water pipeline are examples that give evidence to any form of doubt as to whether corruption exists or not under the BDP rule).

Corrupt individuals continue to enrich themselves through stealing and pilfering of the public funds and they are celebrated by some in the ruling class to be on the road to the ‘ millionaires’ club.

The implication of these acts of corruption and money laundering is that funds earmarked for development of Batswana are carted away while the people suffer and remain in poverty in various facts of life.

This has become not just a problem of the economy, but a socioeconomic one that is affecting different segments of the Botswana society. The laundered funds which exist in billions of various currencies deny the youths the investment funds that could create employment opportunities and help stem the tide of poverty in Botswana.

It is the duty of government to make adequate commitment to sponsorship of researches for discoveries that could lead to indigenous technological development. The benefit is that the emergence of such discoveries or technological knowhow could be helpful to internally driven development in different segments of the society as well as in manufacturing locally.

It is also a means to reducing the high tide of import dependence by manufacturing goods locally. But when research efforts are not made supposedly, it affects the society in numerous ways such as government spending on foreign technology for what it can handle locally, importing goods it could ordinarily produce locally and denial of employment opportunities to the youths that could be available through local production.

The lack of relevant research studies constitutes socioeconomic impediments committed by BDP government which discourages economic growth and development.

Implications of Socioeconomic Impediments for Botswana’s Economic Development:

The bigger problem that undermines economic growth and development of Botswana under the BDP rule is that the stealing of national economic assets has gradually become attitudinal and habitual. Part of the bigger problem is that corruption is considered selfbeneficial by the decision makers.

This has far- reaching implication as economic growth and development are sacrificed on the altar of distorted individualised interest. A good example is a case where a tax defaulter comfortably continues to default because no real punitive action is taken to ensure that tax defaulters are brought to book.

Such behavioural systemic actions as looting of public funds, money laundering, unwise investments of public funds, sabotage of economic activities, etc., all play negative roles in undermining state- led efforts towards advancing economic development in Botswana.

When public funds looters are shielded from the arms of the law or are celebrated in the society, even though their resources were earned illegitimately, more people are indirectly encouraged doing the same.

When activities that undermine economic growth and development are not punished, many more people follow the example of such actions with the reasoning of getting away with it.

All such attitudinal and behavioural tendencies of tax evasion, sabotage of government economic plans, stealing of natural resources, looting of public funds, non- productive ventures due to wrong leadership placements, discriminatory public policy leadership style, etc., all lead to non- performance and productivity which in turn leads to decline in accruable government revenue much needed to finance development projects.

As can be easily confirmed, Botswana is realising many cases of youth restiveness, terrorism, kidnapping, armed robbery, prostitution, hooliganism, drugs culture, etc. All these can be attributed to high persistence of poverty and inequality and suffering experienced by the people, especially the youths who are seeking for ways to survive.

In essence, when poverty and inequality remain unacceptably high and the pace of reduction unacceptably slow, this also affects the wellbeing of the individuals in the society and causes even more increase youthful ills and exuberant behaviours.

In order to confront the challenges of unemployment and meeting basic needs, there is need to introduce policies, programmes and interventions that would allow the Botswana economy to grow to such an extent that poverty and unemployment would be ended.

There is need for a new macroeconomic policy, that would create sufficient jobs for all job seekers; the redistribution of income and opportunities in favour of the poor; a society in which sound health, relevant quality education and other services are available to all; and an environment in which homes are secure and places of work productive.

Furthermore, RAP has established that many social ills in Botswana are the result of either weak family systems or non- existent families, altogether. The family is facing a fundamental crisis in Botswana, which needs to be remedied immediately.

It is for this reason that RAP also calls for an inter- related type of development guided by pro- family policies and services. The family is part of the national economy and makes contributions towards its growth. Therefore, economic policy should be in line with the promotion of family life and the strengthening of the family in Botswana.

If Botswana` s economy was to be booming with growth and development induced activities such as manufacturing, export of goods other than just natural resources and minerals, technologically driven production sector, efficient tax collection system, etc., then more jobs and quality employment opportunities would be created for its teeming youth or employable population, which will in turn engender economic stability and spur additional economic growth.

RAP calls on BDP government to promote economic development for the good of Batswana rather than usurping it as an avenue for endless acts of corruption and neglect of the Botswana nation!