Has Masisi lost the plot?

Mmegi Editor | Monday April 4, 2022 08:55

When taking oath, he assured the nation that his major priority was to diversify the economy, tackle unemployment and poverty amongst his people. He promised to prioritise job creation for young people who are the worst affected by unemployment.

Apart from his commitment to prioritise the diversification of the economy away from the diamond industry reliance, Masisi also promised to continue leading the country peacefully so that it enjoys political stability and economic prosperity. The transition from former president Ian Khama to Masisi at the time also seemed so smooth. Four years later, all this seems to have fizzled out. The nation seems divided as to what he has achieved so far. Many are disappointed in what has transpired so far.

First it might have seemed like he was on the right track, tackling issues of corruption and giving the rule of law a chance.

There was a sense of optimism that fear that was seemingly felt under Khama will be a thing of the past, as Masisi was considered more tolerant even to opposition. Politically, Masisi has unfortunately proven to be intolerant of his opponents and the country has experienced growing political challenges. There seems to be divisions within the same party Masisi leads. It may seem too that he only thrives on sycophancy and those who have different opinions feel his wrath. Many are leaving the political space under his watch and this might give the opposition leverage in future. Botswana is also experiencing unexplained expulsions of many senior public servants under Masisi’s stewardship.

The ever-growing animosity between Masisi and former president Khama seems to be playing itself out more with Khama having escaped into South Africa on self-imposed exile. Economically, despite Masisi promising a diversified economy, nothing real has been happening. For example, the country is still reliant on diamonds though experiencing revenue decline, which has left Botswana vulnerable in some instances. Tourism, which is the second largest contributor to the economy, also took a nosedive due to the COVID-19 crisis. The emerging story here is that indeed Botswana needs to take economic diversification seriously before the nation experiences total decline and regression in terms of revenue generation.

As of now, Masisi has not come out clearly as to what he is doing to fulfill his promises. Unemployment continues to torment young graduates in particular. Job creation endeavours continue to elude his government as the number of the jobless continue to rise. Four years later, the Masisi administration must at least have a comprehensive strategy geared at solving the run away unemployment. Many are of the view that Masisi has lost focus as he is currently glued to settling political scores at the expense of citizens who suffer the consequences.

Today's Thought

“Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies”

–Groucho Marx