Botswana’s civil servants are failing to deliver on promises President Mokgweetsi Masisi made in his 2021 state of the nation address (SONA) – Sunday Standard investigations have revealed.
According to a savingram from coordinator – Government Implementation Coordination Office (GICO)- Thatayaone Dedede, dated 8th March 2022, addressed to government ministries, while Masisi’s promises as per his SONA appeared good on paper this did not bear the desired results.
Dedede reminded ministries that after the delivery of SONA by Masisi, his office “did extract the action items by respective Thematic Working Groups for Implementation monitoring and reporting thereof.”
He explained that the action items were sent to Thematic Working Groups chairpersons for coordination since the 2021 SONA was Thematic Working Groups based.
Sounding warning bells that Masisi’s plans all but fell apart, Dedede said, “It has emerged that Ministries are not facilitating Tags (Thematic Working Groups) chairpersons with updates on progress of the Action Items.”
He however commend the Governance, Peace and Security TWG as “It has managed to submit their consolidated report.”
Based on this development, he said, his office has decided to follow up “these action items ministry by ministry.”
“Please note that the monitoring of SONA is to ensure that the promises that His Excellency has made to the nation are fulfilled,” Dedede revealed.
He further explained that the 2021 SONA has 56 action items that have been divided amongst the four thematic working groups of Economy and Employment, Social Upliftment, Sustainable Environment and Governance, Peace and Security.
“From the 56 action items, 23 of them are carry over issues from 2019 and 2020 SONA addresses while 33 are new.”
Suggesting that the government is struggling to deliver on Masisi’s promises, Dedede stated further that, “The Economy and Employment TWG has the largest number of carry-over of action items from the past SONAs at 12, which is 57% of the total action for the TWG.”
The documents indicate when some of the promises were made by the president and when the projects or initiatives should have commenced and completed while there is no time frame for others.
According to the documents, one of the action items under the Ministry of Health and Wellness that the ministry was supposed to have updated Dedede’s office on was “vaccinate 64 percent of the eligible population against Covid-19 by the end of 2021.”
Another action item under the same ministry that it failed to file a report with the GICO on was, “Provision of oxygen plants, ventilators, concentrators and training of high care health workers in District and Primary hospitals in preparation for a possible 4th Covid-19 wave.”
The Ministry was also supposed to report to Dedede’s office, “Progress on the vaccine manufacturing partnership (Botswana-Baylor) in Botswana.”
For its part, the Ministry of Agriculture and Security, one of the action items that it was supposed to have updated Dedede’s office on involves “Implementation of the new Agricultural Programme geared towards increasing agricultural productivity and improving food security in the country is scheduled to start in June this year.”
Another action item involved progress on the construction of Tsabong Multi Species Abattoir (carry over 2019 or 2020 SONA) at a budget of 2 500 000.00, and it is expected to end in July this year. The ministry was also supposed to have updated the GICO on, “Progress on developments to diversify BVI products (indicated as new) expected to end in 2024.”
It was also expected to have filed, “Update on a number of interventions earmarked for the dairy sector development, including alternative breeding systems to increase the dairy herd, (carry over 2019 ) at a budget of 200 million and there is no date indicating when this is expected to be completed.”
The Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism (MENT) did not submit an update on, “Progress on the development of a National Tourism Strategy and Master Plan in order to operationalize the Tourism Policy which will be completed in July 2022.”
The Ministry of Mineral Resources, Green Technology and Energy Security (MMGE) failed to submit an update on, “Expansion of coal production in the country; progress on Morupule Coal Mine’s Motheo open pit and a coal washing plant project, expected first washed coal from the project is expected to be completed in October 2022.”
It was also expected to have submitted a report on, “Construction of commissioning of the coal processing plant by the Minergy Coal project at Medie in Kweneng in the Kweneng District to be completed on July 22.”
For its part, the Ministry of Presidential and Affairs and Public Administration (MOPAGPA), was expected to have submitted a report on the “Refurbishment of the Mass Media complex to make it the hub for local and television production,” while the Ministry of Youth Sport and Culture (MYSC) was supposed to have submitted an update on, “Progress on the construction of the 10 community sport facilities (as per 2019 SONA promise).”
The Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI), should have submitted an update “Progress on the building of additional silos in Pandamatenga with a capacity of 60 000 metric tonnes by SEZA, which carry over from 2019 or 2020 SONA,” as well as updates on improvement of, “export readiness and capacity of local producers to meet the dictates of export markets; initiatives aimed at preparing companies for the export market.”
The Ministry of Transport and Communications (MTC) was supported to have submitted a report on the “opening of Mohembo Bridge on the Okavango River to traffic by the end of the year (as per promised made during the 2020 SONA). The project was expected to have been completed in 2021, documents show.
The Ministry was also supposed to have supposed to have submitted an update on, “Three infrastructure projects aimed at improving traffic flow in the Greater Gaborone are underway and expected to be completed by July 2022 (as per promises made during the 20219 SONA) as well as update on, “Construction of Mogoditshane-Gabane-Mankgodi road ( promise made during 2019 SONA).”
It was also supposed to have filed an update regarding progress on, “the village connectivity project, connect ICT services in 504 villages in Botswana (as per promises made during the 2020 SONA) completion date 2022/23.”
The MMGE was also expected to have submitted an updated report to GICO on “Commencement of the phase II of the North West Transmission Grid Connection (NWTGC) (2019 SONA) expected to be completed in 2022/23.”
The Ministry of Land Water and Sanitation (MLWS) was supposed to have submitted an update on, “Making land available for residential and commercial purposes; progress on the servicing of a total of 8 661 previously unserviced plots allocated at different localities.”
It should have also submitted a report on the progress detailing removal of, “The requirement for Council approval for sub-division of land without change of land use as well as for the 50 percent sub division of farms for other activities.”
The Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD) failed submit a report on, “Transformation of Ipelegeng programme to make it more productive and sustainable (as per promises made during the 2020 SONA.)”
