Masisi out of touch with reality - Opposition
Former Leader of Opposition and Maun West MP Dumelang Saleshando says President Mokgweetsi Masisi has killed the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC) and in its place, installed the Directorate of Intelligence Services (DIS), which should not be dealing with corruption. He spoke on the backdrop of the President’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, saying tenders continue to be awarded corruptly and that the rule of law has been thrown out of the window by the current regime.
He believes that President Masisi has failed to explain how his government will fight unemployment in Botswana.
Leader of opposition Dithapelo Keorapetse added that Masisi is a President “out of touch with reality.” He said the president should have given a comprehensive report on the jobs lost due to Covid-19, and the number of jobs created.
Keorapetse said that Masisi failed to measure his progress since he ascended to the presidency. He said there was no strategic direction and there was lack of admission of the major challenges of youth unemployment, poverty and underemployment.
Keorapetse said that democracy is regressing yet the president has said nothing about what is being done to combat the crisis.
Member of Parliament for Francistown South Wynter Molotsi echoed the words of his opposition counterparts, saying he was hurt by the SONA because many Batswana are struggling yet the President is not addressing the issues of education and unemployment.
A lot of elderly people cannot get medication in public health facilities, he said, yet the President is silent on these issues. Moreover, the nation cannot be self-sufficient without water, he added. Molotsi said that until the government addresses the water crisis, the nation can forget about food self-sufficiency.
Minister of Youth, Gender, Sports and Culture Tumiso Rakgare on the other hand dismissed assertions by the opposition politicians, saying instead that government was putting an effort in creating employment and the President was able to cite the changes that are coming that will add value to the nation. Rakgare cited the Forbes Under 30 Summit as one of the indicators that the President has an appetite to see start-ups and enterprises thrive in Botswana.