For a man who was dangling dikano (oaths/promises) on the campaign trail, newly elected President Duma Boko’s maiden State of the Nation (SONA) did not address any of the promises he said he would make right away upon assuming state power. “By the end of November if the UDC wins the elections, you should see an EFT alert on your phone indicating that P1, 800 has been credited into your account,” Boko reiterated the pledge before his party won last month’s General Election. Among their oaths as the UDC, Boko said then that they want to make sure that the elderly who take care of Batswana grandchildren in the villages are paid a monthly allowance of P1, 800. Boko also added that they will reduce the old age pension eligibility from 65 to 60 years. But when he delivered his first SONA, the leader of the tri-party coalition did not address any of the immediate promises he had made. Instead, Boko disclosed that his first 100 days present an opportunity to demonstrate swift, decisive action while laying the groundwork for long-term transformation. “The first 100 days is a period of Renewal and Restoration. In the first 100 days we focus on three interconnected pillars: Restoring Trust, Revitalising the Economy, and Building Equity,” Boko said.
Boko, who is inheriting an economy that needs revitalisation, has now switched from ‘I promise’ to ‘we shall overcome’. “I am aware of the challenges facing our country. We are looking economic uncertainty dead in the eye. Diamonds continue to account for about 80% of our foreign earnings. But we shall overcome. The already high 27% unemployment rate continues to worsen, but we shall overcome. The declining birth rate creates an existential threat to our future, but we shall overcome. We have only 78 years of coal reserves left at the current usage rate, but we shall overcome. The Government is facing cash flow problems, but we shall overcome. We have to wrestle with social and infrastructural issues. But we shall overcome. Mister Speaker, I have no doubt that we shall overcome,” Boko said when delivering the SONA in Parliament this week. Boko was quick to indicate that they have inherited challenges, left for them to resolve by the 12th Parliament. He said together, they will resolve them and build a stronger, more inclusive, and more prosperous future. “This moment demands both immediate solutions to stabilize our economy and long-term reforms that will lay the foundation for sustainable growth,” he said.
