Botswana is at a breaking point. An official investigation by the Ombudsman has laid bare a healthcare system collapsing under the weight of overcrowded wards, severe medicine shortages, and a demoralised workforce. Patients wait days on end for emergency care, and ambulances sit unused. President Duma Boko had rightly declared a national public health emergency, citing significant challenges and debts exceeding P1 billion.
Yet, while this crisis ravages the communities, the administration is championing a major, resource-intensive legal reform and the establishment of a dedicated Constitutional Court. While the principle of strengthening constitutional justice is commendable, the timing is profoundly misplaced. When the President himself admits the government coffers are limited, every thebe and every moment of political capital must be directed towards the immediate emergencies threatening lives and livelihoods. The facts are stark and undisputed. The Ombudsman’s report describes Princess Marina Hospital as an overloaded, broken vehicle expected to carry a nation. Shortages cripple treatment for HIV, tuberculosis, and cancers.
The situation at Marina is a reflection of what is happening at all other health facilities across the country. The timing of the Ombudsman report, however, raises suspicion of a government that is trying to shift blame from its political leadership failures to the technocrats. What the nation is experiencing is not just poor administration; observers are speaking out. It is a failure of the fundamental right to health. Medicine is not a privilege. We are talking about precious lives here, about survival, and dignity. UNICEF warns of malnutrition, and the economic foundation of the country, the diamond market, is in a downturn. Our schools lack food and stationery. This is the reality for Batswana today. President Boko argues that a Constitutional Court is a must to protect rights, provide clear recourse, and protect vulnerable groups. The government states it would handle constitutional matters with urgency, consistency, and authority. But what of the urgency of a child needing an asthma inhaler? What of the consistency of a cancer patient’s chemotherapy? What authority comforts a family that has lost a loved one, awaiting an ambulance? The proposed court is a long-term institutional project.
The health and economic crises are catastrophes unfolding in real time. The government cannot walk and chew gum when it has publicly stated it lacks the funds for both. Investing in a new top-tier court requires substantial financial and human resources. The same resources are desperately needed to restock pharmacies, repair ambulances, hire nurses, and support struggling families. The President’s focus on fixing the diamond-dependent economy was his core promise. These are the priorities that align with the current state of emergency. The constitutional debate should be shelved until the nation is on a stable footing. A future Constitutional Court will be stronger if built by a government that first demonstrated its commitment to fulfilling the most basic social and economic rights in the Constitution. Botswana’s existing courts have a strong record of protecting rights, as seen in landmark rulings. They can continue to safeguard our democracy while the Executive focuses on the rescue mission at hand. We call on President Boko and his administration to listen to the cries from the hospital wards and choose life over legacy.
‘Healthy citizens are the greatest asset any country can have’- Winston S. Churchill
