Towards the end of last year, doubts were cast on Botswana’s readiness to meet certain key aspects of the Millennium Development Goals as set by the United Nations.
This came as a shocker to many people because, all along, a public impression had been created that Botswana was well on track.
With doubts now hanging over our ability to meet the MDGs, it may also be time we ask ourselves, just what chances we have of fulfilling the Vision 2016 goals.
With only three years left before 2016, there is a pertinent question that we ought to unashamedly and unwaveringly ask ourselves as a country and a nation. The question is: Are we on the right path to attain the noble goals we set out in Vision 2016, the year we will celebrate our 50 years of independence? If we are not, what are we doing to ensure that the goals are attained? What did we not do right in the past 17 years to enable us to attain the set goals?
┬áIn 1996, former President Sir Ketumile Masire appointed a Presidential Task Group to develop a long term vision for the country. The task force,┬áchaired by the late Baledzi Gaolathe and representing all sectors of society┬ácomprising political parties, parastatals, private sector organizations, NGOs, trade unions and religious organizations traversed the width and breadth of the country on a consultation process that culminated in the country’s long term vision dubbed Vision 2016.
This was undoubtedly a noble idea for which Masire needs to be commended. The task force did a marvelous job and came up with seven pillars of the long term vision.
The pillars comprise of an educated and informed nation; a prosperous and productive nation; a compassionate, just and caring nation; a safe and secure nation; an open, democratic and accountable nation; a moral and tolerant nation; as well as a united and proud nation.
The pillars were clearly defined and key result areas identified. In identifying the seven pillars, the task force adopted the firm view that Botswana is operating within a rapidly changing world economy and social order.
At the time of conceptualizing the Vision, it was realized that Botswana had developed significantly, thanks to the good fortune of being a mineral rich country that had allowed the country to grow from a poor and low income to a middle income country. The momentum had to be maintained, full throttle, argued the Task Force.
The achievements notwithstanding, it was apparent that a lot of challenges lay ahead. A bold decision was taken to tackle them head-on and it gave birth to the formulation of a long term vision to sustain the achievement.
As we interrogate whether we are on track to attaining the pillars contained in the vision document, we are mindful that this year also marks the mid-term review of National Development Plan (NDP) 10.
We are apprehensive and concerned that with only three years left before 2016, chances of attaining the goals set out in our national vision are slim. The onus, therefore, rests on all of us as Batswana to ensure that the noble goals espoused in the national vision are achieved. However heavy, the task it is not insurmountable.
Botswana is still immersed in high levels of poverty. About 20 percent of our people still live below the poverty datum line. President Ian Khama’s resolute drive to reduce the levels of poverty within our midst is quite commendable although we doubt the long term sustainability and efficacy of some of the programs. A more sustainable poverty eradication strategy needs to be urgently developed.
 At 18 percent, unemployment is another challenge that needs to be tackled expeditiously. Time is ripe for creating an enabling business environment that will create massive jobs, particularly in the services and manufacturing sectors.
The majority of our two million people are pastoral farmers and deliberate efforts must be made to uplift the agricultural sector whose contribution to the gross domestic product at two percent is at its lowest since independence.
Citizen economic empowerment is another challenge that has the potential to upset our national peace, security and tranquility. A lot of our people are economic spectators in their own country and this calls for concerted efforts to prop up all endeavours aimed at empowering the indigenous citizenry. It is our belief that a lot still has to be done to attend to simmering ethnical disenchantment. Pretending that everything is fine is tantamount to misleading ourselves.
Economic empowerment agencies like the Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency (CEDA), Botswana Development Corporation (BDC), the newly established Botswana Investment and Trade Centre (BITC) must all rise to the challenge and ensure that Batswana play a meaningful role in the economic development of their country.
This calls for concerted efforts at propping up domestic development as a prerequisite for attracting direct foreign investment for the long term sustainability of the country’s economic growth, particularly during these hard times of weakened global economic growth.
We must also nurture our democracy by way of instituting appropriate constitutional reforms that resonate well with modern democratic dispensations so that we remain globally competitive on all fronts as we strive to keep our economy afloat.
Crime is another challenge that we must tackle head-on. Crime scares away potential investors; local and foreign. This is the very reason that the fourth of the vision envisages a safe and secure nation.
Gains made in the fight against HIV/AIDS must not be reversed. New infections should be averted at all costs.  
Political will must be mobilised on all fronts to ensure that the noble goals that we set for ourselves in the long term vision are attained.
We wish everybody a Happy and Prosperous New Year.
