Time to be decisive: Let's reset the COVID-19 war effort

When our current President came face to face with the virus, he sought to personally own the war effort. That’s where things went wrong. People who had experience in community mobilisation, for example, wondered why the President was reinventing the wheel instead of simply leveraging onto existing structures.

A standing battle hardened army, was discarded for an army of recruits, and COVID-19 was converted into a reality show. I cannot remember a single celebrity medical practitioner of the HIV-AIDS, era. But COVID-19 has produced as many TV celebrities, as dead bodies.

Mogae, for example, never sought glory in the war effort. People were dying, and he knew they had to be saved. He kept his eyes on the ball, not on himself.

Editor's Comment
Botswana at a critical juncture

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...

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