Author: blastosnr

Now is the time for government to review subsidies and improve tax collection to boost revenue as the country grapples with a dwindling revenue base and youth unemployment.

Experts at the University of Botswana (UB) Budget Dialogue reasoned that subsidies are not reaching intended beneficiaries, resulting in revenue losses.

They warned that increasing the debt ceiling could lead to higher interest rates, while advocating for investment in the creative sector to drive job creation and economic growth.

UB academic, Dr Jonah Tlhalefang pointed out that existing subsidies were missing the intended beneficiaries, hence should be reviewed to ensure targeted beneficiaries benefitted.

Taking the electricity subsidy as an instance, Dr Tlhalefang said it was intended to enable the poor access to electricity, but the underprivileged were not necessarily connected.

He said the subsidies were only serving as a revenue loss to the economy, and reviewing them could save government money.

Also, to increase revenue mix, the government should ensure efficiency in tax collection as well as reduce tax expenditure.

With regard to increasing the country’s debt ceiling, Dr Tlhalefang said, “adjusting the debt ceiling upwards is not a good thing, it is a surprise to the market. Such a move could lead to high interest rates, increasing the cost of borrowing.”

Before an increase, there is a need to address how the country reached the 40 per cent debt ceiling, and if the debt is under 60 per cent of the country’s GDP, it would be prudent to increase the ceiling with caution, Dr Tlhalefang said.

The Department of Visual and Performing Arts’, Professor Connie Rapoo, said the country was wrestling with the crisis of youth unemployment, and that the creative sector offered employment opportunities.

 “And I want to say very confidently and broadly that the creative industry sector creates jobs better than any other economic industry,” she said, adding that there were several industries within the sector.

Therefore, intentional investment and policy framework in the sector could help reduce the burden of unemployment.

The Ministry of Higher Education permanent secretary, Professor Richard Tabulawa, said the 2026/27 National Budget was clear, as its focus was pivoting the country towards a diversified, export-driven, digitally enabled, and skills-rich economy.

“This pivot is informed by youth demographics, our competitiveness ambitions, and our national conscience,” said Prof Tabulawa.

He said that the country faced real fiscal pressure and diamonds had dwindled, a situation that called for bold choices for the country to invest strategically, modernise institutions, support innovation, and mobilise societal efforts for jobs, productivity and inclusive prosperity.

Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Mr Noah Salakae said government was prioritising toll gates as another revenue source.

UB Chancellor, Ms Tebelolo Seretse stated that the issue of toll gates to expand government revenue sources had been mooted, but nothing had thus far been done.

Botswana Vaccine Institute (BVI) has been praised for its pioneering work in veterinary science, innovation and disease control. Speaking during a tour of the BVI facilities, Vice President Ndaba Gaolathe

commended BVI for its commitment to advancing animal health, highlighting its role in controlling the spread of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and contributing to food security.

He emphasised the need for BVI to remain a global centre of excellence for infectious disease control, stating that the government’s priority was to capacitate and resource the institute to position Botswana as a vaccine-producing powerhouse.

BVI has proven itself as a leading producer of animal medicines, with potential to become a leading exporter across Africa. 

He said the institute’s strict adherence to international vaccine standards of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), together with a sound quality management system and customer-centred approach, enabled it to break into international markets,  a development he described as commendable.

“From its humble beginnings, the BVI of today is a company that has grown in leaps and bounds and has positioned itself as a force to be reckoned with in the fight to unlock Africa’s vast livestock potential by producing livestock disease vaccines that for many years have contributed towards food production,” he said.

Mr Gaolathe further said BVI had expanded its mandate to transform into a national, regional and global player providing sustainable animal health solutions, and that it takes pride in leading efforts to unlock Africa’s livestock potential by preventing diseases that have long hampered growth in the sector.

Meanwhile, BVI Chief Executive Officer Mr Andrew Madeswi said the institute remained steadfast in its commitment to the highest standards of quality, safety and regulatory compliance in pharmaceutical manufacturing, both regionally and internationally.

“As part of our ongoing commitment to innovation and excellence, Botswana Vaccine Institute is excited to introduce the new look and feel of our vaccine product labels. This initiative aims to enhance brand recognition, improve clarity and ensure consistency across all our product lines,” he said.

Mr Madeswi said that during its 40 years of operation, BVI had produced high-quality vaccines meeting industry standards, with a strong focus on safety, effectiveness and livestock well-being, promoting healthier herds and communities across Africa and beyond.He reaffirmed BVI’s commitment to safeguarding regional animal health amid the escalating FMD outbreak in the region.

Providing an environment where teaching and learning can thrive means ensuring that essential items like food and toiletries are also available to learners to enhance their learning experience.

Ministry of Child Welfare and Basic Education’s regional director for the North East region Mr Labane Mokgosi said this recently when Tsetseng Retail Group donated groceries to the Francistown Centre for Deaf Education (FCDE).

Commending Tsetseng Retail Group for its collaboration with FCDE, Mr Mokgosi said reducing their partnership into writing through the Memorandum of Understanding that the two entities signed at the donation ceremony marked the unwavering commitment of the retail group to supporting deaf education.

“We are truly grateful for this partnership, and the Memorandum of Understanding is a source of great pride for us” he remarked, highlighting how the 12-months donations by the Tsetseng Retail Group, the parent company for Spar supermarkets, will positively impact the work of the Francistown School for the Deaf.

He also pointed out that Spar’s initiative serves as an excellent example of a public-private partnership, which they aspire to expand. Spar community project coordinator, Mr Kemisetso Gotewang noted that Spar’s partnership with FCDE started when they first visited the school in 2024 to assess its needs and determine how they could assist.

“We discovered various issues, among them the need for food and toiletries. As Tsetseng Retail Group, we recognised that students need proper sustenance in order to perform well academically,” he stated, giving a background of why they chose to support the centre through providing groceries and toiletries.

With regards the Memorandum of Understand, Mr Gotewang said Spar committed to providing a monthly sponsorship of P10 000 over 12 months to cover food and toiletries.

FCDE school head Ms Changu Monyadzwe expressed appreciation for the generous grocery donations that Spar has been providing since 2025.

She noted that the contributions have greatly aided in supplying daily meals for their learners, ensuring dignity, nourishment, and stability for children who depended on the centre for education and care.

Ms Monyadzwe highlighted that FCDE was a unique institution offering sign language-based education to deaf students from the northern region of Botswana.

She further indicated that the school relied on collaboration with government and private partners like Spar.

She also mentioned that the Ministry of Child Welfare and Basic Education supported their operational budget and provided teaching staff, while the City of Francistown offered additional assistance.

FCDE representative, Mr Pako Modise shared that FCDE would enrol six Spar employees from the three Francistown stores in basic sign language training.

The initiative, he said, would enhance accessibility, improve customer relations with deaf clients, and support compliance with the Botswana Disability Act

Long-term surveillance remains critical priority for the Department of Veterinary Services as it grapples with a recent outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in Jackalas No. 1.

Following the detection of the disease two weeks ago, the village has been declared a Red Zone, triggering rigorous monitoring and vaccination campaign.

In an interview, Principal Technical Officer, Mr Millan James, emphasised that the battle against FMD did not end with a single injection.

“Aft er vaccinations, surveillance exercises will continue to check for possible signs of FMD,” Mr James stated.

The department’s strategy hinges on a multi-year commitment, including continued monitoring, which would see surveillance extended to goats and other cloven-hoofed wildlife, such as kudu and impala, to ensure the virus was not circulating in other species.

The path to Green Status would succeed only if surveillance results eventually showed that FMD prevalence had ceased and the Ministry of Lands and Agriculture will apply to the World Organisati on for Animal Health (WOAH/OIE) for Green Status.

Achieving this status is the only way to lift current slaughter embargoes and return the zone to its original market standing.

Approximately 700 cattle were expected to be vaccinated in the initial phase.

Mr James explained that the 2-in-1 vaccine was designed to prevent infection and reduce the efficacy of the disease.

Mr James said vaccinated livestock would be marked with an ‘H’ brand on the right leg.

He added that a booster jab was scheduled for February 17 (14 days aft er the initial dose), with another booster expected toward the end of the year.

Furthermore, he said vaccination and surveillance may continue for up to three years, adding, if the virus persisted, the area may be classified as a permanent Red Zone, similar to the Okavango and Chobe regions.

He indicated that the recurrence of FMD had caused significant distress for Zone 6b farmers, many of whom were still recovering from the 2022 outbreak and subsequent restocking efforts in 2023/2024.

Farmers Committee chairperson, Mr Dignity Mtombeni, said he suspected that previous restocking may have occurred before the area was fully cleared.

Thus, he urged government to engage in bilateral talks with Zimbabwe to find a trans-border solution, suggesting a repeat of the 2008 exercise where Botswana vaccinated cattle within a 40km radius inside Zimbabwe.

Regarding the dilapidated border fence, Mr Mtombeni said they had volunteered to assist government, saying ‘Mophato or community regiments were ready to cut poles and maintain the fence if government provided the materials.”

Councillor for Jackalas No. 1/ Ramokgwebana, Mr Morapedi Mafohla, commended farmers for their cooperation during recent kgotla meetings.

While the situation was diffi cult, he noted that farmers were grateful that government opted for vaccination over depopulation and preserving their high-quality breeds.

Mr Mafohla urged all farmers to herd and kraal their cattle strictly to prevent mingling with potentially infected animals, stressing that community discipline was the first line of defense in the surveillance eff orts.

The United Nations’ Children’s Fund (UNICEF)’s School In a Box kit holds much more than just school supplies.

It represents hope and the right to education for children in rural communities and the low-income families. For early childhood learning, the school in a box kit apart from learning continuity, also provides healing to children who have lived through times of trauma.

The School In a Box kit initiative according to UNICEF country representative to Botswana, Dr Komanzi Mothengi also brought about joy to the children as some develop new found excitement for school. Speaking during the handing over of a donation to primary schools in Kgatleng District, in Oodi on Monday, Dr Muthengi said following the flood that affected schools across the country last year, UNICEF found it fit to donate some school supplies to stimulate learning.

He said UNICEF learnt that thousands of families and 1 800 children were affected by the flood, preventing some children from going to school since many communities in Kgatleng and other districts were affected.

The donation that included 78 boxes of early childhood leaning material, 50 boxes of stationery, 2 006 school bags and 46 boxes of recreational material targeted 20 000 learners across the country, and is part of UNICEF’s mandate:No Child is left Behind.

Since government prioritises Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), Dr Muthengi said UNICEF had partnered with government to attain the education transformational process.

“We are committed to strengthening Botswana’s education by working with other partners to supplement these efforts,” he said.

Minister of Child Welfare and Basic Education, Ms Nono Kgafela-Mokoka, acknowledged UNICEF’s impactful support in foundational learning, and that the donation would complement government’s interventions underway to strengthen STEM.

She commended the organisation for playing a part in education, stating that government’s partnership with UNICEF was critical in providing support to vulnerable children and bridging the education gaps.

Ms Kgafela- Mokoka assured partners that donation would be used transparently and in line with its intended purpose.

The ministry’s permanent secretary, Ms Mmamiki Kamanakao, said the timing was appropriate, when STEM driven education should be strengthened in accordance with the ambitions of the new administration.

She said the ministry had been tasked with ensuring that the learning environment was child friendly as the enrolment of foundational learning was increased.

“It is worth mentioning that these materials are offered in live with government’s STEM curriculum for early childhood development,” he said. Meanwhile Kgatleng East MP, Mr Mabuse Pule, noted that the collaboration between UNICEF and government had yielded positive results in early childhood learning.

“UNICEF has always been a strategic partner in providing expertise to education and improving learning outcomes. This donation will complement government interventions in hard-to-reach areas,” he said.

Mr Pule appealed to government to prioritise fixing dilapidated school infrastructure and learning resources.