On Monday President Mokgweetsi Masisi used his maiden state of the Nation Address to claim a political high ground that has up to now eluded him.
He used the speech to set a broad economic strategy for his presidency.
He made big and bold announcements, like setting an Investment Board that he will chair.
He clarified his vision for Botswana’s foreign policy by saying it will be anchored on the country’s values of human rights, democracy and respect for multilateral organizations.
He made it clear that it will not be business as usual as all barriers will be removed to make it easy for local business people and those from outside to do business in Botswana.
The ease of doing business in Botswana was his primary message.
Trade barriers will be removed, as will all administrative redtape.
Investors have often complained about delays of registering a business in Botswana.
All those will be history.
A minister will be empowered by law to give fast-tracked residence permits to deserving business people.
In short where Botswana was in the past inward looking, henceforth it will be outward looking.
The basis for that is to be able to export to the global market, but also to be able to compete and also create jobs.
He staked his political future on creation of jobs. And also on introducing far reaching reforms on almost every sector of the economy.
His speech often sounded like a root and branch overhaul of the country’s institutions.
He invited the bold and ambitious to join him, while subtly warning those against change that their time was up.
There will be skeptics. There will be naysayers.
But that is all too good.
At least Masisi has left us bristling with hope.
Now the ball is squarely on his court to change his words into deeds.
Or else there is no escape for him, for he has armed the nation with a plethora of details with which to judge him.
Botswana’s economy has for far too long relied on diamonds.
That was good while it was lasted. But the cash from diamond sales have helped hide the simple fact that ours is an old economy ÔÇô that has stayed stagnant but also shiftless.
On Monday Masisi talked of how big investments in fibre and broadband networks will roll out countrywide.
He wants to change Botswana’s economy into a digital economy.
The Speech was largely an economic statement.
But it achieved for Masisi a political high ground.
More than his vision, it cemented his authority.
