‘Government is broke,’ an earworm that refused to leave airwaves :: Mmegi Online

By the start of 2025, few phrases had penetrated the national consciousness with as much force as the three simple words, “government is broke.” From Kgotla meetings in remote villages to boardrooms in Gaborone city, from taxi ranks to glittering malls, this song became the year’s unwanted chart-topper. This lament played everywhere, blaring with each passing month, writes Mmegi Staffer SPIRA TLHANKANE

The phrase escaped official speeches and entered the public’s vocabulary. It began being used sarcastically at bus stops, continued to be whispered angrily in clinics, and was joked about in bars. It became the punchline to delayed salaries, unpaid invoices, and suspended projects.

Just as DJs know the songs that refuse to leave the airwaves, Batswana came to understand that the nation’s coffers were dry, resources were depleted, and that the treasury was under siege. Like every overplayed track, it began to wear thin when, earlier this year, there was a growing national irritation when the “government is broke” narrative backfired on the authorities.

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