In Botswana, Duma Boko delivers his third State of the Nation Address
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Weekend Post
Botswana President Duma Boko delivers his third State of the Nation Address on 9 November, after a first year marked by a 30% cut in water tariffs and a 50% amnesty on unpaid bills. According to Weekend Post, the exercise is proving more difficult as the country now examines the concrete results of the government’s promise of a “steady path”.
Botswana President Duma Gideon Boko was due to deliver his third State of the Nation Address on 9 November since the Umbrella for Democratic Change coalition came to power, after 58 years of Botswana Democratic Party rule. The address was expected to help measure the results of his first year in office against the commitments announced in 2025, Weekend Post reports.
The government of Duma Boko cut water tariffs by 30% and granted a 50% discount on household water bill arrears. Living allowances for students in technical and vocational education increased from 300 to 1,900 pula, an announced rise of 533%. The old-age pension was also increased, while a minimum living wage of 4,000 pula was agreed between the government and seven public-sector unions, effective from July 2025.
Economist Mosimane Rammika believes this social spending is putting Botswana on a “budgetary tightrope”, by increasing domestic liquidity and the debt-to-GDP ratio. He expects the address to link social measures to cuts in non-essential recurrent spending and an increase in non-mining revenues to preserve the country’s sovereign rating.
