It is clear that key public decisions are made without the benefit of well researched information to give direction.
Such decisions, when made and implemented often lead to unnecessary divisions in the public service or in some instances, polarization between the Government and the public.
The introduction of Electronic Voting Machines is a glaring example.
But there are many other such similar instances.
The situation has gotten worse over time as skills and experience in the public service ÔÇô owing to hard economic times, became shallow and thinly spread.
The absence of strong think-tanks exacerbates the situation.
Added to that is creeping culture of intolerance in our public discourse.
This simply turns away other people who cannot stomach the personal attacks as well as insults hurled at them.
The upshot of it all is that people simply do not want to participate in public debates. Our public decision making processes are shallow and often show a lack of equilibrium when put to the test.
The world has become a complicated place. And it is disheartening that instead of our processes maturing, they have instead regressed.
The importance of the civil service in Botswana cannot be over-emphasised.
But it would be foolhardy to suppose that the quality of that civil service has gotten better over the last ten years.
In fact it has grown worse ÔÇô if not in quantity, certainly in quality.
The sad reality is that as a country, we no longer are an open society.
People lack flexibility in the positions that they hold. And there is too often a temptation to entrench one’s position and even harden attitudes to those holding different views.
We seem to enjoy talking past each other and yelling insults rather than engaging.
We seem to like talking at each other, rather talking to one another.
If you take the introduction of EVMs, for example, what it is doing, other than testing the nation’s patience is to divide an already divided nation.
There seems to be a general consensus among political parties that the policy was wrong-headed.
The public, for their part has made it clear that EVMs are not welcome.
So why then should the whole nation be held hostage by a policy that nobody wants?
There is a premium to be gained in establishing strong policy think tanks that are not related to Government or politics.
Such institutions will provide unvarnished truth in the form of research to all decision makers ÔÇô regardless of political affiliation.
The need for such institutions is made all the more pressing by the fact that Members of Parliament still do not have research officers.
They rely on their cabinet colleagues for all the information they need.
In the short term, this tilt in favour of cabinet against parliament might be good for Government, especially the one that lacks sincerity and honesty.
In the long term, such a scenario is counterproductive and hurtful to the country.
