28 Oct 2024

In a televised showdown that captivated the nation, Botswana’s presidential candidates took to the stage in Gaborone on Thursday for a series of debates that highlighted the pressing issues facing the country.

On one side, was the incumbent President, Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi of Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), and on the opposing was Advocate Duma Boko of Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), Mr Mephato Reatile of Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) and Mr Dumelang Saleshando of Botswana Congress Party (BPC).

With the economy, agriculture, and infrastructure development at the forefront, the candidates engaged in spirited exchanges, each contesting to present their party vision for Botswana’s future.

As voters prepared to head to the polls on Wednesday, the debates provided a crucial platform for candidates to articulate their policies and connect with the electorate.

President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi emphasised several key points regarding economic development that he wished to further enhance should he advance on to a second term in presidency.

Dr Masisi said upon assuming his role as president in 2019, some of his strategies to reviving the economy were impeded heavily by the advent of COVID-19 pandemic. However his government, he said, brought resolute counteracting actions to building back and allocate funds set aside for developments toward procurement of vaccines to save lives.

He said their goal toward economic development as the BDP was to devise solution oriented strategies to address current economic bottlenecks, citing that lately they have managed to reduce inflation to 1.5 per cent even with halted diamond sales since April 2024.

Dr Masisi said to boost the economy and address the upper middle income trap, his government has come up with a fundamental structural re-adjustment within the country’s biggest foreign exchange earner, the diamond sector.

This, he said has birthed a new system where the adjustment within the sector would prioritise full diamond beneficiation which would not only create employment, but would further scale up proceeds derived from sales of processed stones.

He said the strategic turnaround has brought an increase in number of companies dealing in diamonds from three to more than 20 locally, an aspect which was expected to empower locals with skills around cutting, polishing and jewelry making.

Within the digitalisation strategy, Dr Masisi said his government has subcontracted about 400 youth-owned enterprises to deploy online services thereby creating more employment for Batswana.

Furthermore, he said toward revamping the economy his government introduced programmes targeted at empowering Batswana to start and grow sustainable businesses to create more employment opportunities.

He mentioned Chema Chema, Thuo Letlotlo and Temo Letlotlo among these special programmes which up to date, he added, had disbursed P360 million to beneficiaries.

Dr Masisi further said through infrastructure development across all corners of the country his government has been able to provide jobs for majority of dwellers living in or near project locations, and promised that with more projects lined up they were destined to hire more people.

Mr Dumelang Saleshando said BCP planned to grow the economy by 8 per cent each year to allow for the minimum wage to be increased to a set target of P4000.

He said with unemployment rate at 28 per cent, their plan was to create at least 300 000 jobs, adding that the intention was to bring back employment opportunities that were sent to neighbouring countries through exporting unprocessed raw materials, including among others copper and leather hides.

Mr Saleshando said BCP has planned to revive the education system and curb the disparity between private and government schooling system, mentioning that it was every child’s right to access free and quality education.

BPF’s Mr Mephato Reatile said the BPF intention was to revive the economy through setting up agricultural clusters and trusts in villages to boost the livelihoods of dwellers and the nation at large.

For his submission, Advocate Duma Boko of UDC said his party would revive the economy through ending inefficiency, wastage and corruption within government processes, citing that this would be attained through strictly regulating all spending patterns.

Adv Boko further said his party was determined to set a minimum wage of P4000 and increase old age pension to P1 800, adding that they would also introduce a stimulus package toward paying workers better. ENDs