In early May, President Mokgweetsi Masisi told a CNN journalist that Botswana is “on the verge” of becoming the first African country to vaccinate its entire adult population against the deadly Covid-19.
told a CNN journalist that Botswana is “on the verge” of becoming the first African country to vaccinate its entire adult population against the deadly Covid-19.
At the end of July, Princess Marina, the country’s biggest public hospital, warned that its mortuary was overflowing, while Sidilega, a private hospital in Gaborone, advised patients seeking emergency care to look elsewhere. “We have pumped money as developing countries of the African continent into the Covax facility but the returns were not satisfactory,” he told theA man receives hand sanitiser as a preventive measure against the spread of the Covid-19 before boarding a taxi in Gaborone on May 21, 2020. Photo: Monirul Bhuiyan/AFP/Getty Images
A heavy lockdown and a lengthy state of emergency gave Masisi sweeping powers to rule by decree. Now, with two months to the end of the 18-month state of emergency, the country has confirmed more than 116 000 cases and 1 600 deaths. The ruling Botswana Democratic Party battled in April last year to come up with reasons to justify the state of emergency. The leader of opposition in parliament, Dumelang Saleshando, argued at the time that it was a ploy to give Masisi more powers to take decisions unilaterally and that it could also lead to tender irregularities.
Under the lockdown, it was also alleged that the construction of 10 toilets at a primary school for P1-million should have cost around P100 000 — prompting an official investigation. BDP insiders alleged that Masisi and Kwape had clashed on policy direction and Covid-19 expenditure. The president also removed the permanent secretary in the ministry of health, Solomon Sekwakwa, an old hand in government and a respected economist, and his deputy, Dr Morrison Simvula. The reasons for this were never given.
The country also paid 15 times the production cost for the Moderna vaccine, according to Dikoloti’s calculations. Now it has run out of vaccines. “We did everything right,” he lamented. “We maintained social distance, wore masks, locked people down. But after the lockdowns, what did we do? Nothing. There was no further plan, especially in placing orders for vaccines. We did that very late.”
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