The true cost of govt’s ‘free lunch’ :: Mmegi Online

Does Botswana’s multibillion pula spend on social welfare fall like manna from heaven or is it a cost government is willing to stomach even when ‘dirty things’ hit the fan? At what point will government draw a line to move towards economic emancipation and empowerment rather than unproductive capital handouts, inquires TIMOTHY LEWANIKA

Botswana has brought a butter knife to a poverty fight whilst its antagonist – unemployment – has brought a grenade. For 58 years, government has been preaching empowerment, social welfare, and social security support, but after almost six decades since Independence, the time has come to question the real meaning of this old song.

For the financial year 2025–2026 government plans to raise its social welfare programme spend from P2.88 billion to P6.48 billion, an increase of over P3.6 billion. These social interventions, though not ‘evil’ or wasteful in their nature, can be strategically re-deployed to win the war against unemployment and inequality. After all, is unemployment not the greatest ill Botswana faces?

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