Leader of Opposition, Duma Boko has said he feels a deep sense of pain that the nation is going through at the moment.
Boko showed his humane side on Wednesday as he was addressing a public political rally at the Gaborone Bus Rank.
Boko is Leader of Umbrella for Democratic Change, but also of the Botswana National Front.
He said Batswana are currently besieged by many economic difficulties chief of which is shortage of water and electricity.
He said equally painful to him are the high high levels of unemployment, especially among the young people. He told his audience not to expect any respite when President Ian Khama addresses Parliament on his State of the Nation on Monday.
Boko took the opportunity to also rubbish the much vaunted “Economic Stimulus Package” recently announced by President Khama.
He said the stimulus will not work beyond empowering a few activists of the ruling Botswana Democratic Party.
He likened the stimulus package to an erection booster. He said there is not even a consensuns on how much it will be.
“First it was P8 billion, then it was increased to P10 billion before being increased yet again to P12 billion. What really can Khama achieve with P12 billion when he has failed to improves lives with the P400 billion spent in development budget since he became President? Asked Boko.
“Don’t expect much to come from it. On Monday he [Khama] will deliver his speech and go away. He will not even sit to listen to other people respond to his adress,” said Boko.
Boko also took issue with Khama’s lack of respect for him as Leader of Opposition.
With references of Dr Khama, in allussion to an honorary doctarate that a university in Asia recently bestowed on Khama to recognise the president for what is said to be a sterling human rights record, Boko said for one to be clever, they needed to listen to other people.
“He was given a doctorate presumably to recognise him for his record in human rights. Then he leaves asiasi and arrives back home and his first act is to deport Ugandan refugees back to Uganda from where they had run away fearing for their lives. Is that a good human rights record? What really does the man know about human rights?”asked Boko.
“Dr Khama has no respect for me as his supposed interlocuttor.But still we should thank Khama for opening our eyes as Batswana. We now know a lot of things because of the many things that Khama has done since becoming President,” Boko said with a toungue in chick.
Boko also said Khama’s weaknesses is to personalise public policy.
He made specific mention of the Alcohol Levy which he said was introduced without any research.
He said the levy was introduced not because of any scietific research but “because alcohol once killed somebody who Dr Khama liked very much.”
To make matters worse, there are no guidelines how the money from the Alcohol Levy is used.
“Only Khama knows what the money is used for.”
Boko said more and more Batswana are today drinking alcohol because they want to spite Khama.
He said immediately after the alcohol levy was introduced there was a drop in alcohol consumption as people were adjusting their budgets. Since then alcohol has assumed all the flavour of a forbidden fruit with more people than ever taking it just to get even with Khama.
“Some drink because they hate Khama. Some drink because they want to see what he will do to them.”
