Day 1: The Steady Path: President Boko Unveils Bold Blueprint for Botswana’s Future
Addressing the nation on November 10, 2025, President Duma Gideon Boko unveiled his administration’s vision under the guiding theme, “The Steady Path: Delivering on Our Promise, One Step at a Time.” Acknowledging the weight of history and the severe economic headwinds faced by the Republic, the President framed his speech not as a declaration of instantaneous change, but as a blueprint for meticulous, sustained progress. He invoked the wisdom of English playwright John Heywood, stating that while “Rome was not built in a day, but they were laying the bricks every hour.” This philosophy, he explained, recognizes the critical condition of the nation’s fiscus and the immense strain caused by unprecedented global macro-economic challenges and global shifts, particularly in the diamond market, the traditional “goose that lays the golden egg.” The President warned that this national resource is currently in “critical condition.”
President Boko described the heavy financial inheritance of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) government, noting that it entered office with “coffers depleted, employees owed, contractors owed, farmers owed, a debt of hope to the people.” He defended the government’s first-year spending by highlighting the immediate delivery of significant welfare benefits, directly challenging critics who cite increased annual expenditure. The President asserted that such critiques “omit to tell you that the increase [in expenditure] is caused by giving money directly to the people of this country that need it most.”
He then proceeded to detail the administration’s progress on its core electoral promises, emphasizing that these achievements were secured despite the prevailing economic hardship. First, the commitment to making basic utilities affordable saw immediate results with a 30% reduction in water tariffs for every home. Furthermore, the government extended an unprecedented 50% amnesty on all outstanding water bills for households. The President framed this as the government willingly taking on the public’s financial burdens, stating the UDC “forwent monies owed to Government… so that the people of Botswana have less financial burden.”
Second, social safety nets were significantly strengthened. The old age pension saw a substantial 68% increase, rising from P830 to P1,400 per month. While acknowledging the original target was P1,800, this phased approach ensured that a “vulnerable and marginalised group of elderly individuals” received lighter burdens immediately. Tertiary education support also witnessed dramatic change: the allowance for the hardest-hit segment, TVET students, was dramatically increased by 533%, moving from P300.00 to P1,900. The President underscored that these measures are just the beginning, noting future expenditure will increase further when they deliver the promised P300 allowance to nursing mothers and fully attain the P1,800 pension and P2,500 student allowance.
Third, the promise of governance reform and democratic integrity moved forward visibly. The government has already gazetted the Constitutional Amendment Bill, which sets the stage for establishing a Constitutional Court—a critical step that precedes the planned nationwide referendum on constitutional review. A Sovereign Wealth Fund has been delivered and commenced work, aiming to accelerate strategic investments globally and ensure wealth for both current and future generations. On labour, the administration reached a historic milestone with seven Public Sector Unions to implement the P4,000 living wage effective July 2025.
Finally, beyond financial metrics, the President affirmed the rebuilding of public trust in institutions. He highlighted key, meritocratic appointments across Ministries and statutory bodies, including the Judiciary, the Directorate of Public Prosecutions, and parastatal boards, signaling a clear shift away from discrimination. Critically, the government has upheld freedom of speech and expression, allowing an “enraged and frustrated population [to] take to the streets on several occasions without fear of police brutality.” He concluded this segment by emphasizing that for the first time in a long time, the rights enjoyed in Botswana “are not words on a fading parchment, but are tangible and real,” flowing directly from the Constitution. In a defiant nod to critics and “doomsayers,” the President proudly cited national triumphs like the country’s first Olympic gold medalist and the historic political change of 2024, affirming that the central concern remains “to transform the lives and livelihoods of the people of this country.” The first installment of this multi-part series sets the stage for a government committed to gradual, purposeful change, translating its social contract into “a nation of shared prosperity, of dignity, and of sustainable growth that leaves no one behind.”
