Masisi needs to refocus or he will leave without a legacy
Friday, September 11, 2020
Loyalists have been hard at the oars pushing the narrative of a reformist president, a Moses of sorts, who has arrived to deliver economic prosperity, and to deliver us from corruption and extrajudicial killings. Really?
I would be quick to point out that Masisi didn’t find things in the best order. To that extent, it is fair to pay attention to all mitigating factors that may be pleaded in his defence. But his situation is no different to that of all others before him. As soon as he had hit the ground, former President Ian Khama had to deal with a debilitating recession, a task not unlike swimming with weights attached to your feet. We came out of it in one piece, and the economy returned to stability.
While the political shift brings hope for change, it also places immense pressure on the new administration to deliver on its election promises in the face of serious economic challenges.On another level, newly appointed Finance Minister Ndaba Gaolathe’s grim assessment of the country’s finances adds urgency to the moment. The budget deficit, expected to be P8.7 billion, is now anticipated to be even higher due to underperforming diamond...