GIA: The obscure fund that impacted an election
Friday, November 01, 2024 | 1390 Views |
Heart of the matter: The Finance Ministry was in the news more than usual this year, as diamonds sank into a protracted slump
Earlier in the year, President Mokgweetsi Masisi and the ruling party seemed headed for an untroubled second term, with a popular suite of policies and the record P102 billion budget anchoring the president’s campaign.
However, by mid-year, the downturn in diamonds became prolonged, eating into the budget plans, forcing accelerated drawdowns on savings and causing murmurs of concern amongst those tracking the numbers.
It highlights the need to protect rights such as access to clean water, education, healthcare and freedom of expression.President Duma Boko, rightly honours past interventions from securing a dignified burial for Gaoberekwe Pitseng in the CKGR to promoting linguistic inclusion. Yet, they also expose a critical truth, that a nation cannot sustainably protect its people through ad hoc acts of compassion alone.It is time for both government and the...