18 Nov 2025

 Drugs shortage could have been averted if the government had heeded the call of technocrats in the Ministry of Health, says Ngami legislator, Mr Phillimon Aaron.

The MP made the remarks on November 13 when responding to President Advocate Duma Boko’s State-of-the-Nation Address (SONA).

He said the previous government did not act when alerted to the expiry of some critical drugs, and the Umbrella for Democratic Change government also failed to heed the advice, leading the country to a dire drug shortage situation.

As such, he said some deaths and complications of some chronic illnesses could have been avoided. Also, Mr Aarone said areas such as the Okavango were hard hit by the situation as they did not have private pharmaceuticals where patients could buy drugs as medicines were not available in government facilities.

He said the time had come for the country to start producing some drugs, noting that there were trained Batswana in the pharmaceutical space.

Mr Aaron pointed to the shortage of personnel as another reason that contributed to patients not getting treatment and surgeries on time.

On other issues, he said the Botswana Meat Commission bought cattle for P16 per kilogram in Okavango, while the price was higher elsewhere, a situation that caused disparities between Batswana.

Also, the government should be proactive in helping communities that want to invest in the tourism sector, as this benefits communities, not individuals, Mr Aarone said.

Specially elected MP and Minister of Child Welfare and Basic Education, Ms Nono Kgafela-Mokoka, said SONA captured the current economic climate and how the government was responding to the challenges it faced. She said government was steadily fulfilling its promises to the people despite having inherited a strained fiscal situation, where employees, suppliers, and farmers were owed.

Ms Kgafela-Mokoka said that increases in the old age pension and TVET students’ allowances, water bills amnesty, and reduction of electricity price were some of the achievements of the ruling party. Also, she said while diamonds were not doing well, the government was looking to other sectors, such as the cultivation of industrial hemp, among others. 

She said the National Development Plan 12 was the country’s roadmap, while the Botswana Economic Transformation Plan was the blueprint that would lead the country to high-income status.

She stated that amid challenges in the ministry, the new curriculum, which was STEM-driven, had been completed, and targeted children from early childhood until Form 5.

The ministry has secured a loan to address challenges in the sector, such as dilapidated buildings and retooling of teachers, it would also assist in the refurbishment and expansion of schools as well as rollout of digitisation.

Takatokwane MP and Minister of Sport and Arts, Mr Jacob Kelebeng said the government was committed to growing sport and the creative industry. 

He said the government had set aside P200 million for the creative industry and was working on the laws and regulations for better management of the sector, while work on the Sport and Recreation Bill is advanced.

Since Botswana would be hosting the World Relays next year, Mr Kelebeng said the ministry had devised a hosting strategy, to position the country as a regional events hub.

He said the ministry was reviewing the national incentive policy and partnering with the private sector to enhance sports.

About Steve Harvey’s Family Feud show, he said the programme was a project of the past government and the current would not be continuing with it. BOPA