Invest in the arts

| Monday September 27, 2010 00:00

On this occasion, The Monitor applauds the resilience of the nation for having graduated from the list of the 10 most impoverished countries at independence to what is now regarded as a middle level economy. Within the movement from a population of 350,000 in a territory of 220 square miles, shared with twice as many cattle to modern day Botswana, much has been accomplished by achieving near universal access to education, water and primary health care. The country also boasts a credible record of non-violent political discourse and manageable levels of crime and official corruption. The Monitor wants to make the case that the country stands accused of failure to achieve effective diversification of the economy. May we propose that Botswana enjoys a unique resource that has not been exploited to its fullest potential: the arts. The artists of Botswana, despite the fact of their being neglected and almost denigrated in the social sphere, including deprivation of educational benefits at the Ministry of Education, the brigades, and schools of technology, have made a mark on the economy by way of individual enterprise and collective effort.

Their only assets are: -* raw talent*the determination to escape poverty* and every citizens dream of a prosperous Botswana

If the government of Botswana seeks to target areas that require minimum investment on material resources, and just a little training of the artistes, and most importantly, the marketing of their products locally and internationally, then the arts is the direction in which to look.

Botswana spends incredible amounts of money in counteracting the political damage the government has created by being less than truthful and open about its treatment of the Basarwa in the Central Kgalagadi Game Reserve, which was space created in colonial times for the survival of the original inhabitants of the country. The government invests ridiculous amounts of money in engaging the services of ignorant and incompetent international consultants who market Botswana diamonds and the country for huge amounts of money. That money could easily be invested in a national cultural troupe that travels the world to promote, not just the diamond, but also the tourism sector and the cultures of the country's peoples.Millions were spent on 'Mma Ramotswe' with little or no return for the country.  That money would have been better spent on the national cultural troupe.

The message is, spend more on this natural human resource, and quit the waste on artificial cultural window dressing.