SONA: Masisi between a rock and a hard place

President’s avowed commitment to rule of law under the spotlight State loses corruption cases and COVID- 19 tests resilience of economy

President’s avowed commitment to rule of law under the spotlight

State loses corruption cases and COVID- 19 tests resilience of economy

Monday’s State of the Nation Address ( SONA) presents President Dr. Mokgweetsi Masisi is greatest litmus test post the 2019 general election.

Masisi’s presidency has since early this year endured its toughest opponent – COVID- 19 pandemic, which has not only battered economies, but also created new abnormalities across socioeconomic landscape.

COVID- 19 response interventions such as lockdowns have exacerbated pressures of border closures causing added strain to food insecurity especially for a net- food importer high- middle income country.

As he prepares for his speech, Masisi will be alive to his personal demons, which have played out in the public arena to create a spectacle out of his office. The president has faced a barrage of corruption accusations and will be compelled to set the record straight, especially regarding his acquisition of a portion of Banyana Farms.

This presents him an opportunity to test the utility of the Declaration of Assets and Liabilities Act as a mechanism to hold power to account. All eyes will be on him to see if he will announce the date when he will publicly declare his assets so that his executive, parliament and judiciary and all their subordinates can follow suit.

Masisi’s government has also had to fend accusations that the yearlong State of Emergency ostensibly imposed to respond to the vagaries of COVID- 19, is nothing else but a ploy to plunder state coffers through emergency procurement.

It is expected the president will speak to the issue of the ailing economy, to sharpen his recovery policies and commit additional resources to jettison the productive sectors with potential for employment creation, such as agriculture, arts and crafts, tourism as well as diversification of the mining streams.

Constitutionally the SONA provides the president the opportunity to say everything under the sun that he wants to share with the nation

IEC

Masisi is expected to speak on Independent Electoral Commission ( IEC)’ s conduct of the 2019 general election since the electoral body has already submitted its detailed election report in accordance with Section 65A ( 13) of the Constitution of Botswana.

Under the law the process of evaluating the elections took place at district level and a platform for all critical stakeholders at national level, has to be provided before the end of the 2019/ 2020 Financial Year to further evaluate the elections. The evaluation process culminates with recommendations for possible electoral reforms.

CRIME

The president will explain how his government is combating the sprawling crime especially, crimes of passion, which continue to claim lives of women and the girl- child.

TRANSFORMATION

The National Transformation Strategy ( NTS) which will augment the Government’s focus on economic transformation from the primary sector to manufacturing and services will also be revisited. The aim is to reduce the country’s substantial reliance on the diamond sector.

Different measures of increasing the revenue base are on the pipeline including intensifying tax collections by BURS.

In order to achieve the ambitious Vision 2036 Masisi put together a team to design the NTS which is to provide a strategic roadmap and steer the vehicle towards achieving Vision 2036 goals. The Strategy is to be delivered by end of first quarter of the next financial year.

The government has long undertaken measures to ensure inclusion of most or all members of the society in the distribution and, or in enjoying the benefits of economic growth. Among the measures undertaken is the Economic Diversification Drive ( EDD) which was reviewed in collaboration with UNDP through the Programme on Support to Economic Diversification and Inclusive Growth and meant for ease of doing business, promoting export oriented businesses and facilitating job creation.

EDUCATION

At the moment the education system has been affected by COVID- 19. Masisi has promised that government continues to place great emphasis on the development of human capital through significant educational investment, the focus being to prepare Botswana for the transition from a conventional resource- based to a skill based and knowledge economy leveraging on quality accessible education.

Outlining some critical policy reforms in his last SONA Masisi spoke of the need to transform the economy leveraging on skills- based ( Outcome based education) in tandem with the global skill- sets.

He is expected to inform the nation on how successful the Education and Training Sector Strategic Plan ( ETSSP) has so far been. He will also speak to the knowledge workers envisaged to feed the 4th industrial revolution. This is a destination the President has streamlined our education to follow as outlined in SONA.

CONSTITUTION

Masisi has promised the review of the national constitution to strengthen social cohesion and democracy in our nation state. Public participation is central to an inclusive and consensus oriented government.

The question is what is holding back the review?