More talk and limited actions. Lying by public officials nowadays is legendary. Government has become a monstrous institution and whatever it says, it lies. Pathological lying has become its trademark. Until the promise of ending the SOE is effected, I do not trust anything that comes from this untrustworthy regime. Since the declaration of SOE, premised on protecting the lives and property of citizens was effected, people's lives and livelihoods have been badly affected. The socio-economic and political fabric of society and its people have been shaken and devastated. The indefinite SOE declared by President Masisi has been a polarised and partisan intervention to contain, control, and mitigate COVID-19 pandemic. At its inception, it lacked political consensus and coordination by all stakeholders.
President Mokgweetsi Masisi, for reasons best known to him and his political advisors, snubbed the main opposition political formation, the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), and consulted political leaders of fringe parties most of them devoid of parliamentary representation. The aim was for these leaders to sanitise the declaration of the SOE by the President. The argument by the President and the proponents of the SOE then was to take stringent measures to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. The Public Health Act was deemed inadequate and insufficient to deal with the pandemic. There is no shadow of doubt that the Constitution of Botswana empowers the President to declare the SOE to deal with threatening situations to the lives and property of citizens. The President and his supporters, who at face value were genuine, presented the objectives of SOE. But practice has promised unintended consequences and ramifications to the lives of citizens and their businesses.
