02 Sep 2026

Botswana’s economy is slowly recovering, with a 3.5 per cent growth registered in the first quarter of 2025.

Addressing a kgotla meeting at Phillip Matante East ward in his constituency on Tuesday, Member of Parliament for Francistown South, Mr Wynter Mmolotsi attributed the recovery to a number of factors, among them increased diamond sales.

He said in July last year diamond sales stood at P100 million, but rose to P300 million in July this year; an increase he labelled dramatic.

Another factor, he said, was cost containment which, among other things, compels that any government purchase be requested and approved by the Ministry of Finance.  

“This has saved government a lot of money because some procurements have been disqualified or rejected,” Mr Mmolotsi said. He added that despite the financial challenges facing the country, government had managed to pay all civil servants on time. The wage bill for civil servants currently stands at P2.5 billion per month.

Mr Mmolotsi also informed residents that the country’s reserves presently stood at P51 billion, with P6.1 billion in the Government Investment Account. 

“This is a major improvement from the time the new administration took over in 2024,” he said. On a different matter, the MP said the issue of drug shortages would soon be a thing of the past as the drug situation was gradually improving, with some essential drugs now at over 90 per cent stock levels. He said to address the challenge further, government had allocated P140 million to the Ministry of Health, a sum that he explained would be distributed to districts. 

In addition, the Ministry of Finance has taken a deliberate decision to prioritise funding for the Ministry of Health, he added. 

 Mr Mmolotsi however noted that inflation had risen to 9.4 per cent, against the Bank of Botswana’s projected range of 3 to 6 per cent.

He also said there was a shortage of condoms in health facilities, which had contributed to an increase in the number of people seeking treatment for Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs).  

“Condoms have now been found, though not enough. I appeal to those who need them to collect and leave some for others,” he said.

Mr Mmolotsi, who is also the Minister of Environment and Tourism, warned residents of the looming el nino, which is expected to bring severe drought and extreme heat that could lead to livestock deaths.

He appealed to farmers with large herds to consider selling some of their animals and saving the proceeds.   He also urged those who had a bumper harvest in the last ploughing season to store their grain safely for use during the peak of el nino.

On Independence Day celebrations, he said constituencies had each been allocated P150,000 to mark the country’s 60^th independence celebration.  

“The independence of Botswana is a unique story. Sixty years is not a joke for a country like Botswana, which is known for peace, stability, prosperity, good governance and democracy,” he said. ENDS