A Reflection on The Nation in a State of Emergency – What is the State of Emergency?

This declaration was decreed in exercise of the powers vested in the president by section 17(1) of the Constitution of Botswana. The S.O.E. followed the recognition and declaration of the COVID-19 outbreak as a global pandemic, on 11 March 2020 by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Upon determining that the country would enter a period of S.O.E, the president indicated that the S.O.E stemmed from the need to take measures to address the risks posed by the pandemic.

The S.O.E, which at the time was scheduled to commence on 2nd April 2020, was to be for a short period of time. For reasons known by the country leadership, the S.O.E subsisted, and will only end on the back of September, perhaps as a 55th independence gift to the country. With the impending end of the State of Emergency, it is imperative to reflect and determine the effectiveness of the S.O.E, under the circumstances.