01 Sep 2014

The national vision is a necessary long term strategy for the country to guide its developmental process, Minister of Finance and Development Planning Mr Kenneth Matambo has said.

Officially launching the Vision 2016 commemoration month in Tsootsha on Saturday August 30, Minister Matambo implored all stakeholders to embrace the vision saying it was crucial in guiding developments.

Now in its eighth year celebrated in various parts of Botswana, Mr Matambo said it was a moment of reflection on the performance of the vision. He said it was a time to reflect on the success attained and overcome the drawbacks in the future.

Commemorated under the theme, Living the Vision: Yame le Wena, Mr Matambo noted the importance of the awareness months saying they also helped the vision council to evaluate the implementation of the vision.  

The theme, he said, was relevant and appropriate to the current social, cultural, economic, political and religious circumstance in the country.

Mr Matambo also said the vision should unite Batswana as a people with common beliefs and goals. He therefore implored them to work together in the spirit of attaining the goals of the national vision.

Botswana has done a lot in the achievement of development targets as a result of the national vision. Minister Matambo highlighted some of the achievements such as increase of primary and secondary school enrolment from 318 629 and 108 373 in 1996 to 340 326 and 175 038 in 2013 respectively.

Electricity connectivity also, Mr Matambo noted had increased from 63 per cent to 70 per cent between 2011 and 2013. He also highlighted that 77 per cent of the population had access to safe drinking water in 1996 and the number had since increased to 96 per cent in 2011.

The poverty rlevel, Mr Matambo said had dropped from 47 per cent in 1993 to 18.4 per cent in 2013. And politically, the World Governance Indicator scored Botswana’s political stability at 89 per cent in 2012 from the 77 per cent in 1996, Mr Matambo highlighted.

Although there had been some progress, Mr Matambo acknowledged some challenges which were still facing the country and noted these could derail the country from achieving the goals of the vision.

Challenges such as high unemployment among the youths especially, poor work ethics which he said affected investment and economic growth.

The increase in road accidents was also one factor which Minister Matambo noted was a challenge to attainment of the vision; with an increase of 178 487 cases recorded in 2012 compared to 174 791 cases in 2011.

With only two years to 2016, Mr Matambo implored all Batswana to re double their efforts to live the vision. 

He said if the objectives of the vision were achieved, all should be proud of attaining those goals and also said if some of the goals were not achieved; no fingers should be pointed but rather learn from the experience and move on towards the fulfilment of the next long term vision. Ends