Talk of blackouts should not be part of the daily schedule of a region always at the forefront of economic growth and enjoying relative wealth compared to other regions on the continent. Some may say that the strain on the power supply is the result of our rapid economic development. That is partially correct although the brunt of this crisis should really be blamed on lack of coordinated scenario planning on the part of our regional power experts.
As a result of this, the region finds itself having to find solutions under the pressure of an impending shortage. We hear that South Africa's Eskom has had to get a sizeable loan from international lending bodies to finance its state of readiness on the eve of the much-anticipated World Cup. Botswana recently borrowed US150 million dollars from the World Bank to finance the major projects to satisfy Botswana's and regional needs. The country seems to be seriously dependent on coal. Botswana is borrows once more after borrowing to sort out national the budget. While we do agree that in many ways a country the size of Botswana may not have the funds needed to pursue these major projects, we also want to caution our leaders.
