This year’s SONA is expected to be not different from the previous ones, but it will be delivered against the backdrop of recent controversial issues that engulfed the nation entangling the powers that be in the process. In the not so distant past, Masisi was himself implicated in allegations of meddling in the Judiciary-an allegation that the Office of President (OP) vehemently denied saying that the President is addicted to the rule of law. Just like in the previous years, all eyes will be on how Masisi intends to address the high unemployment rate that is hovering at 26%.
Analysts from different fields have long said that high unemployment was a ticking time bomb since it mostly affects the youth who are the majority in the country. In the build up to the 2019 General Election, the main opposition coalition party, the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), had promised to create 100,000 annually. On the other hand, the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) promised to create jobs but did not state how many it will create if it retained power nor the time frame upon which the jobs will be created. Some sections of society have low confidence in some public institutions and it will be interesting to see how Masisi will allay their fears. For example, there is a feeling that public institutions like the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and the Directorate of Intelligence and Security (DIS) have been politically weaponised against certain members of society.
