The death of civil society

US Ambassador Earl Miller testing for HIV
US Ambassador Earl Miller testing for HIV

More than a decade ago, the local civil society sector was thriving, with various organisations complementing government’s efforts in dealing with development challenges in health, education and other sectors. Today, however, civil society is a hollow shell of its former glory, with widespread organisational collapse. Staff Writers, MBONGENI MGUNI and GOITSEMODIMO KAELO report

The major driver of the demise, according to many, has been funding. Botswana was upgraded from a lower to an upper middle income country in 1991 and while the new status highlighted its economic miracle from one of the poorest in the world, it also brought untold misery.

At that time, the country was in the throes of the single biggest public health crisis it had ever faced.

Editor's Comment
Human rights are sacred

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...

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