How Masisi government (mis)managed COVID-19 (Part II)
Ryder Gabathuse | Friday March 12, 2021 13:31
FRANCISTOWN: Adam Mfundisi, UB lecturer in politics and administrative studies, blames lack of strategic leadership as having contributed to the slow pace in prevention, control and vaccination of citizens in Botswana.
He declares this week that as a result of the BDP-led government ineptitude, “in the meantime, Covid-19 pandemic was spreading like wildfire and death has become common cause.”
He is adamant that the BDP has always inculcated a sense of gratitude to the country’s economic performance, particularly the so-called ‘ upper middle-income’ status which is not reflected in the lives of the people.
He posits that in Botswana, affluence coexists with abject poverty, unemployment, inequality and other social ills.
Economically weak and poor countries have managed to acquire vaccines for their population and Botswana is unable to do so.
“In addition to weak political leadership, there is an apparent lack of political commitment and will to provide citizens with vaccines to protect them from the ravaging Covid-19,” declares Mfundisi, adding that this is also exacerbated by a weak political culture bent on apathy and worship of leaders.
He notes that civil society organisations and the general populace are weak and co-opted by the State. He is quick to point out that top-down decision-making processes in Botswana have disengaged many actors in policy-making.
To him, “the public has lost trust and confidence in government hence the anticipated behavioural change needed to curb the spread of the disease will be a mirage rather than a reality.”
One of the results of government failure to manage the pandemic, highlights the UB academic, was the rise in political consciousness amongst the people.
“Government’s poor management of the pandemic has decreased trust and confidence in government. Even diehard supporters of the ruling BDP are jittery about the performance of government. Poor communication strategies have worsened the situation. The BDP government defined the Covid-19 pandemic merely as a health issue and ignored its socio-economic and political dimensions.
“Botswana has a youngish population and government should have extensively used social media to fight the pandemic. The social media is a critical player in fostering behavioural change in society especially amongst the youth.”
He believes that the current regime should have done better if it would have taken cognisance of the advice tendered by the World Health Oorganisation (WHO).
“WHO advised governments to depoliticise the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. It emphasised on a multi-pronged approach encompassing all facets of society and polity,” he observes.
Mfundisi faults the President Mokgweetsi Masisi-led government for not having cultivated a culture of inclusivity in the management of the pandemic. He feels it (government) concentrated power in the Executive branch of government and treated Parliament, “as a lap dog designed to rubberstamp decisions of the Executive.”
Opposition political parties, he adds, were side-lined because government wanted to use the pandemic to redeem itself. He is worried that the Masisi-led administration has been preoccupied with political power and status and in the interim lost strategic direction in the management of the pandemic.
“The government should have acted quickly and decisively to curb the spread of the disease by closing our borders, lockdown, introduction of stringent rules and regulations on testing, wearing of masks, social distancing and contact tracing,” he says.
He emphasises that testing should have been done early and widely as we have a small population compared to other countries.
The State of Public Emergency (SoPE) should have been used at the initial stage to mobilise resources to fight the spread of the pandemic.
“We now know that it was used to advance private interests and promoted corruption and malpractices in tendering and procurement of goods and services. It produced millionaires,” he tells Mmegi.
He is further worried that the Ministry of Health and Wellness (MoHW) has been decimated in terms of employee attrition: firing of the Permanent Secretary and the deputy Permanent Secretary, replacement of the Minister, the firing of the Director of Public Health Services amidst the pandemic, were serious blunders.
The effective management of the crisis, he says, “needed continuity and learning experiences on the complexity and dynamics of it. The Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 usurped the functions and responsibilities of the Health Ministry. Resources and responsibilities to fight the pandemic were channelled to the Task Force.”
He expressed concern that those who are burdened by the crisis became spectators in the game they were properly trained to execute. “The Task Force is unable to provide a strategic direction in the fight against the disease. Some commentators label it a statistic office to deal with death figures with no policy on what to do to deal with the surge in spread and deaths thereof,” he registers his concerns about the Presidential Task Force.
He is further concerned about the rapid spread of the pandemic which he says was alarming, but the government is not taking concrete steps to deal with the problems.
“The economy is in ICU as expressed in the 2021/22 Budget Speech. Businesses are collapsing everyday with serious socio-economic and political consequences. There has been a rise in abject poverty, unemployment, inequality, diseases, and criminality. The future is uncertain and terrifying,” he bemoans the state of affairs.
Botswana, according to Ministry of Health and Wellness sources, has adopted the following as prevention and control strategies since February 2020;
Public education through the use of mass media and other forms of education
Screening at all points of entry for early detection, diagnosis and treatment.
Advised self-quarantine for suspected cases as well as rapid specimen collection for testing Isolation for suspected cases or symptomatic individuals following screening at designated health facilities followed by contact tracing instituted to ensure that the virus is does not spread.
Social distancing where the public is advised to take measures to reduce contact in malls, shops, work, gyms, places of worship etc. Community lockdown where training institutions and other places that gather large number of people are closed or there is restricted movement.
This includes restricting and preventing travel within or outside the country.