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Botswana Vision 2036 a pipeline dream – World Bank

Realising a ‘prosperity for all’ goal by 2036 could be another wild-goose chase for opulence like Vision 2016 if the latest publication by the World Bank is anything to go by.

The World Bank’s biennial “Poverty and Shared Prosperity Report; Piecing Together the Poverty Puzzle” has forecasted that by 2030 Sub-Sahara Africa including Botswana will still be struggling to wipe out poverty-this is six years before Botswana’s Vision of 2036 where this country is set to achieve the “Prosperity for All” status. According to economists, social commentators and politicians, Botswana failed to achieve its previous goal of Vision 2016-the World Bank paints a gloomy picture for the Vision 2036 goal.

World Bank indicates that by 2030, the world is expected to have wiped out extreme poverty except for Sub-Saharan Africa—where over 25 percent of the population will be living on less than $1.90 a day. Despite forecasting that extreme poverty would still be in double digits in Sub-Saharan Africa by 2030, the forecasts indicate that the world would need to grow at an unusual strong pace in order to meet the 3 percent target.

The World Bank also advises that the target would be met if all countries grow at an average annual rate of 6 percent and the income of the bottom 40 grows 2 percentage points faster than the average. Alternatively, the landmark could be reached if all countries grow at an average pace of 8 percent according to the World Bank.

The World Bank Group has set two goals for the world to achieve by 2030: To end extreme poverty by decreasing the percentage of people living on less than $1.90 a day to no more than 3 percent and to remote shared prosperity by fostering the income growth of the bottom 40 percent for every country. These goals coincides with Botswana’s Vision 2036 where Botswana is expected to achieve a high income economy and where they will be ‘prosperity for all.’

When adding his comment on the “Piecing Together the Poverty Puzzle,” the World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim said: “Poverty is on the rise in several countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, as well as in fragile and conflict-affected states. In many countries, the bottom 40 percent of the population is getting left behind; in some countries, the living standard of the poorest 40 percent is actually declining. To reach our goal of bringing extreme poverty below 3 percent by 2030, the world’s poorest countries must grow at a rate that far surpasses their historical experience.

There is no room for complacency. We must intensify the effort to promote economic growth in the lagging countries and ensure that the poorest 40 percent of the population benefits more from economic progress.” A startling revelation from the latest World Bank publication is that 3.4 billion people still struggles to meet basic needs-living on less than $5.50 a day. The World Bank has concluded that nearly half the population lives on less than $5.50 a day.  

According to the World Bank, living on less than $3.20 per day reflects poverty lines in lower-middle-income countries, while $5.50 a day reflects standards in upper-middle-income countries. The World Bank has a commitment to achieve the goal of ending extreme poverty, defined as living on less than $1.90 a day, by 2030.  “Over 1.9 billion people, or 26.2 percent of the world’s population, were living on less than $3.20 per day in 2015. Close to 46 percent of the world’s population was living on less than $5.50 a day,” the World Bank said.

According to the 2015 Botswana Poverty Assessment report by World Bank, Batswana are living in extreme poverty and nearly half of them are children. Most of them remain poor or at risk for falling back into poverty, according to the World Bank report. On a high note, the 2015 Botswana Poverty Assessment also found that poverty declined from 30.6% to 19.4% between 2002-2010, particularly in rural areas, due to increased labour and agriculture-related incomes and more opportunities for the poor. This resulted in 180,000 people being lifted from poverty, 87 percent of which live in rural areas, the report says.

Other research from the World Economic Forum shows that Botswana is among the most unequal countries in the world, contributing to scepticism on attaining its Vision. In this year’s Global Competitiveness Report Botswana scored 60.5 in Income Gini. The Gini index of 0 represents perfect equality, while an index of 100 implies perfect inequality.  Currently Botswana is the fourth most unequal in the world after Haiti, Namibia and South Africa.

According to the World Bank, Botswana and other Sub-Saharan countries Africa now account for most of the world’s poor, and unlike most of the rest of the world the total number of poor there is increasing.  The World Bank says this is due to conflict and weak institutions, and a lack of success in channelling growth into poverty reduction.  The World Bank further states that extreme poverty is increasingly becoming a Sub-Saharan African problem.

African countries have struggled partly because of their high reliance on extractive industries that have weaker ties to the incomes of the poor, the prevalence of conflict, and their vulnerability to natural disasters such as droughts, according to World Bank. The 2016 Macro poverty outlook for Botswana by the World Bank highlighted this country’s risks and challenges sees Botswana as heavily dependent on commodity exports and public sector activity and will remain exposed to external shocks.

This country is highly reliant on extractive industries, especially diamond mining. “Therefore, a key risk facing the economic outlook arises from potentially slower than expected recovery of global demand for commodities including diamonds. For example, a slowdown in major economies, would further constrain diamond and other commodity production, with spill over effects across government revenues and exports. In the medium-term, structural reforms remain critical for managing volatility and sustainability risks such as reforms in the water and energy sectors, as well as policies that address labour market distortions,” said the World Bank report on Botswana.

Sub-Saharan countries like Botswana are also said to be grappled by weak institutions according to the World Bank. In Botswana’s case it should be weak parastatals or state owned companies. The 2018 Competitiveness Report released last week saw Botswana placed at 104 out of 140 countries in the category of ‘Reliability of Water Supply.’

This means Water Utilities Corporation is failing as a nation’s water supply. The utility also bears the mandate of providing safe water but the same Global Competitiveness Report finds that Botswana is susceptible to production of unsafe water, putting it on a worst rate of 102 on the ‘Exposure to unsafe drinking water’ mini index. 

In this mini index, Botswana is better than 38 countries when it comes to production of safe water. Another weak institution which could have caught the eye of the World Bank is the Botswana Power Corporation which is mostly the reason for this country scoring number 117 out of 140 countries in the mini-index of Electrification Rate according to the recent Global Competitiveness Report. The World Bank provides analysis and advice for developing countries like Botswana. It is a source of financial and technical assistance to developing countries around the world in order to work on poverty eradication.

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BOMU, DBS roadshow partners in crime

18th March 2024

The Department of Broadcasting Services (DBS) roadshow has found and trusted the Botswana Musicians Union (BOMU) as a companion it could trust in empowering and facilitating the creative sector, in particular, performing artists and musicians.

BOMU exits to ensure that musicians in Botswana are supported by all platforms and services that are aligned to what they do, which at most times is the production of music.

In 2023, the Union put together grand music awards prized at a whooping P3 million. Indeed, the man working behind the awards, Seabelo Modibe of Total Music Group understood the assignment. For the very first time, BOMU awards left an impressive mark, leaving people murmuring.

With that said and done, BOMU became a very important stakeholder in the on-going DBS roadshow. The relationship started in 2022 when the project was initiated. In this massive project, BOMU plays a role of mobilizing and registering new artists.

In the previous years, the Union has been clouded by dispute and back-and-forth. It was accused of being bungling, purposeless and served no interests of its members (artists). Following the effective execution of the eleventh music awards, artists progressively joined BOMU and the DBS roadshow added cherry on top.

Some of the artists who made it to the Top 30 of the DBS roadshows much-admired the platform, saying it played a major part in changing their lives. Some of them started getting booked, changed their mindsets and consider music as a business entity.

These are some of the few nuggets of wisdom they raked from the man behind the roadshow, Thato Sikwane. He is known as DJ Fresh in the music sector and his company, Big Dawg Productions is the brainchild behind the DBS roadshow.

Matter of fact, DJ Fresh and Modibe worked on this concept together with an aim of unearthing new talent in as much as music is concerned. In order to achieve this goal, the duo had to engage BOMU to allow for the artists to have a body that governs them.

When speaking in an interview with WeekendLife, BOMU Secretary General Rasina Rasina said the roadshow is actually a blessing in disguise, as it was initially considered a tall show.

“This is a much-needed platform for a sector that has been deteriorating over the years. We believe it is here to resurrect the music industry. The DBS roadshow cultivate talent from scratch and nurtures it. This will help us as a Union to have a solid foundation and as BOMU, as we are highly appreciative.”

Rasina said BOMU is very much aware of Season One challenges, adding that they too experienced them. “As BOMU, we therefore appreciate that it was the beginning. Naturally, beginnings have challenges but we are optimistic that everything will be in order as together as a team, we can work to solve all pressing matters that delay the progress of artists in Botswana.”

Successful artists during the DBS roadshow will reap from what they sow. BOMU has been allocated a budget to help artists access the roadshow. Rasina has however refused to divulge the total amount but specified that they ensure artist participation and mobilization, as well as feeding.

“We have learnt from past challenges. We do not pay artists but we assist them with transportation funds to mobilize them to attend the roadshow and showcase. What we offer them is not payment. We ensure their participation, transport mobilization and feeding. They compete, showcase and get the platform they need. We partner with them to deliver a product. Essentially, there is a car, a record deal, airtime deal and cohesion.”

Thus far and during the Season 2 roadshow, BOMU has registered an average of five hundred (500) members. In the process, it has managed to rebuild an average of ten BOMU District chapters nationwide.

Rasina commended the government for coming up with a project that caters for the welfare of artists and creative minds in Botswana.

“Our expectations from the next season is that it will be bigger and better. We appreciate the contribution of DBS and the recent focus towards the creative industry by government. Importantly, it is important to note that the creative industry should never be treated from a blanket approach view. Every region, district, village or town has its own talent. The heritage of Botswana is defined by the creative industry talent.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Report links child poverty to disability

12th March 2024

Child poverty is a pressing issue that affects millions of children around the world, and the link between child poverty and disability is a particularly concerning aspect of this problem. The recent research paper published by the Botswana Institute for Development Policy Analysis (BIDPA) sheds light on the stark reality that children with disabilities are more likely to be living in poverty compared to their non-disabled peers.

The findings of the research paper reveal that children with disabilities face higher levels of deprivation in basic capabilities such as education and health. This means that they are often excluded from essential services and opportunities that are necessary for their well-being and development. The wider gap in education outcomes between children with disabilities and their non-disabled peers highlights the systemic barriers that prevent children with disabilities from accessing quality education.

Moreover, the higher rates of deprivation in health and food security among children with disabilities further exacerbate their vulnerability to illness and malnutrition. This not only impacts their physical well-being but also hinders their overall development and potential. The research paper also highlights the economic disparities faced by children with disabilities, indicating that they are more likely to experience poverty across demographic and economic variables.

The implications of these findings are profound and call for urgent action to address the inequalities faced by children with disabilities. Affirmative action is needed to ensure that policies and interventions are specifically targeted towards addressing the unique needs of children with disabilities. It is crucial to prioritize the inclusion and empowerment of children with disabilities in all aspects of society to ensure that they have equal opportunities to thrive and succeed.

In conclusion, the link between child poverty and disability is a critical issue that requires immediate attention and action. It is essential for policymakers, stakeholders, and communities to come together to create a more inclusive and equitable society where all children, regardless of their abilities, have the opportunity to reach their full potential. By addressing the root causes of poverty and discrimination faced by children with disabilities, we can work towards building a more just and compassionate world for all.

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Botswana’s internet rated the second fastest in Africa

8th March 2024

Botswana continues to make significant strides in its digital trasnformation aspirations, as it secures its position among the top-ranking African countries for mobile internet speed. Based on statistics from the Speedtest Global Index, Botswana has been rated the second fastest mobile internet speed in the continent, with an impressive 43.79Mbps, according to a recent study by Business Insider Africa.

This accomplishment demonstrates Botswana’s dedication to improving the quality of broadband internet in the country; and re-affirms its position as a leader in Africa’s telecommunications and ICT services. “The acknowledgment of Botswana’s internet as the 2nd fastest in Africa reflects our commitment to cultivating a digitally inclusive society,” remarked Mr. Keabetswe Segole, Acting CEO of Botswana Fibre Networks (BoFiNet). “This achievement highlights our ongoing endeavors to enable all citizens to participate in the digital economy.” BoFiNet, the leading provider of telecommunications infrastructure in Botswana, has been instrumental in shaping the nation’s digital landscape.

Reflecting on BoFiNet’s contribution to Botswana’s digital connectivity, the Acting CEO stated:”BoFiNet takes pride in its role in securing Botswana’s position as the 2nd fastest country in Africa for mobile internet. Our robust fibre optic and microwave network has been pivotal in delivering high-speed connectivity to both urban and rural areas, ensuring access to reliable internet services for all citizens. We remain committed to fostering innovation and digital inclusion, thereby paving the way for a prosperous digital future in Botswana.” Through the recently launched SmartBots Village Connectivity project, 1,138 premises across 144 villages in different Botswana districts are able to connect to this fast internet.

Botswana’s population is utilising connectivity creatively as a result of a boom in mobile penetration, which is advancing the nation’s digitalisation. Rapid advancements in mobile high-speed internet are causing a digital revolution in Africa, bringing about changes in areas including the economy, education, healthcare, and empowerment.

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