By Moeti Mohwasa

Introduction

Nearly two years ago, this Government received a mandate for change: to build an economy that works for more people, restore dignity in public services, strengthen social protection, reform the institutions of the State and place Botswana on a more inclusive and sustainable path. At this mid-term point, our responsibility is not merely to recount announcements. It is to account for what has actually changed, who has benefited, how much has been committed, and where work remains unfinished. Today’s briefing provides an account of key areas of delivery and progress at this stage of the mandate. It is not intended to be an exhaustive account of every intervention across Government. Further updates on other areas of delivery and implementation will be provided in subsequent briefings as we continue to report to Batswana on the progress of the mandate.

The record emerging from the first two years is one of substantial implementation under difficult fiscal conditions. Government has expanded direct support to older persons, introduced a Child Support Grant, begun national provision of sanitary pads to female learners, increased tertiary student allowances, ensured attainment of P4,000 living wages, settled inherited supplier obligations, advanced long-standing BDF pension claims, and pursued an extensive legislative and policy reform programme.

This report deliberately distinguishes between promises fully achieved, commitments substantially implemented, and reforms still in progress. A five-year mandate should not be declared complete after two years. The proper test at this stage is whether the country has moved from manifesto commitment to funded action, and from funded action to measurable benefit. Our commitment is therefore not simply to report what Government has done, but to keep Batswana informed, transparently and progressively, about what has been achieved, what remains outstanding, and what is being done to close those gaps.

From Mandate to Measurable Delivery

Fellow Batswana, nearly two years ago, this government received a mandate for change: to build an economy that works for more people, restore dignity in public services, strengthen social protection, reform the institutions of the State and place Botswana on a more inclusive and sustainable path. At this mid-term point, our responsibility is not merely to recount announcements. It is to account for what has actually changed, who has benefited, how much has been committed, and where work remains unfinished.

The record emerging from the first two years is one of substantial implementation under difficult fiscal conditions. Government has expanded direct support to older persons, introduced a Child Support Grant, begun national provision of sanitary pads to female learners, increased tertiary student allowances, ensured attainment of P4 000 living wages, settled inherited supplier obligations, advanced long-standing BDF pension claims, and pursued an extensive legislative and policy reform programme.

This report deliberately distinguishes between promises fully achieved, commitments substantially implemented, and reforms still in progress. A five-year mandate should not be declared complete after two years. The proper test at this stage is whether the country has moved from manifesto commitment to funded action, and from funded action to measurable benefit.

A Government Reaching Households Directly

The clearest evidence of delivery is found in the number of citizens who have received a tangible benefit. In August 2026 alone, 154,243 eligible citizens received the revised Old Age Pension of P1 400.00, with P216 million paid in that month. During the 2025/26 financial year, P2.05 billion was paid to old-age pension beneficiaries nationwide. The original commitment remains P1 800.00; the current level therefore represents a substantial, but not yet complete, delivery.

Government has also introduced a Child Support Grant of P300 per month for eligible children during their first year of life. Payments began in August 2026, including eligible arrears dating to April 2026. By August, P11.50 million had been paid to 7 727 beneficiaries. This is a new social protection instrument introduced during the present administration.

Dignity, Education and Support for Young People

In June 2025, government introduced free sanitary pads for eligible female learners in public schools. To date, 321 992 packs have been distributed across all ten education regions, reaching 80 498 registered girls. Government had spent P2.62 million on procurement and distribution for the first two cycles. Implementation has not been without difficulty: supply interruptions affected subsequent cycles. The appropriate conclusion is therefore that the programme is operational and national in reach, but requires stronger supply reliability and scale.

Tertiary education support has also been adjusted, with government taking significant steps to improve financial support for students and trainees. The monthly allowance for students in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions was increased from P300 to P1 900. This represented an increase of P1 600 per month, more than six times the previous allowance and was intended to ensure that young people pursuing vocational and technical skills receive meaningful support towards their basic living needs while undertaking their training.

Government subsequently extended this intervention to government-sponsored tertiary students. With effect from 1 May 2026, the off-campus living allowance was increased from approximately P1,920 to P2,200 per month, with corresponding adjustments to the on-campus categories. Between May and July 2026 alone, approximately P239 million was paid under the revised rates, benefiting 41 122 students in May, 41 028 in June and 33 276 in July. The lower number in July reflected students completing their programmes ahead of the subsequent intake.

These interventions represent tangible progress towards Government’s commitment to improve the conditions under which young Batswana pursue education and skills development. While the P2 500 monthly tertiary allowance commitment has not yet been fully reached, Government has moved decisively towards it; and the increases already implemented are funded and reaching students. The commitment remains to progressively achieve the P2 500 target as the fiscal position permits

Public Officers: Housing and Upkeep Allowances

A further direct intervention has been the increase in housing and upkeep allowances for employees in the A to D salary bands. From April 2025 to August 2026, approximately 88 000 public officers benefited. Across the four bands, the additional amount attributable to the increase was approximately P630 million over what would otherwise have been paid.

Within the A band, 12 944 employees received P215 million over the period, compared with P99 million that would have been payable without the increase. The additional benefit was therefore about P116 million. In the B band, 14 535 employees received P211 million against a no-increase baseline of P111 million, yielding an additional P99 million.

The largest group was the C band. Some 44 759 employees received P542 million, compared with P235 million under the previous position. This represents an additional P307 million directed to these employees. In the D band, 15 838 employees received P191 million against a baseline of P83 million, an increase of approximately P107 million.

Taken together, the intervention increased disposable income among lower and middle public-service salary bands by about P630 million between April 2025 and August 2026. This is significant not only as an employment benefit, but also as household support circulating through the domestic economy.

Honouring Government Obligations and Supporting the Local Economy

Delivery is also measured by whether Government pays what it owes. In November 2024, 5 227 supplier invoices valued at P1.7 billion were outstanding, in addition to a P362 million balance owed to a single supplier from October 2024. The combined P2.1 billion was reported as fully settled by the end of January 2025.

The payment system has subsequently handled substantial volumes. In July 2026, 31 523 supplier invoices amounting to P6.91 billion were submitted and reported as fully paid by month-end. Between 1 and 18 August 2026, a further P731 million was paid across 17,530 supplier transactions. The significance of this is wider than administrative compliance: timely Government payment sustains businesses, wages, working capital and economic activity.

Resolving Long-Standing BDF Pensions Claims

Government has also made significant progress towards bringing the long-standing N/375 BDF pension matter to a conclusion. Current assessments identify 8951 eligible members who transferred to the Botswana Public Officers Pension Fund since 2001. Actuarial estimates place the total liability for separated members and the crediting of active members’ pension balances at P4.1 billion, against which P2.7 billion has already been disbursed.

As at 14 August 2026, 4 725 of the 5 979 confirmed claims had been paid, representing 79%, including 4 436 retirees, 255 death claims and 34 withdrawals or resignations. Government is committed to closing this long-standing matter: all outstanding claims for living veterans will be paid by the end of September 2026, while claims involving deceased veterans will be concluded by the end of December 2026, subject to the necessary estate processes. Our commitment is clear: those who served this country must receive what is due to them, and this matter must be brought to a dignified conclusion.

Reforming the Rules of the State and the Economy

The first two years have also been used to establish the legal and policy architecture required for the wider transformation agenda. During the first parliamentary session under the present Government, more than 25 Bills and three policies were processed, together with the Transitional National Development Plan. During the second session, from November 2025 to August 2026, more than 35 Bills and seven policies submitted by Government were successfully processed through Parliament.

At the recently concluded meeting, which was the  third meeting of the second session of the 13^th Parliament, we managed to process the following bills and policies;

1. Industrial Development (Amendment) Bill
2. Attorney General (Retiring Age) Bill
3. Gambling (Amendment) Bill, 2026
4. National Library Service Bill, 2026
5. National Research and Innovation Council Bill, 2026
6. Trust Property Control (Amendment) Bill, 2026
7. Proceeds and Instruments of Crime (Amendment) Bill, 2026
8. Financial Intelligence (Amendment) Bill, 2026
9. Married Persons Property (Amendment) Bill,2026
10. Societies (Amendment) Bill, 2026
11. Syndicated Loan Facility: ABSA Bank Botswana, First National Bank Botswana and Stanbic Bank Botswana) (Loan Authorisation) Bill, 2026
12. Governance Resilience and Economic Support Programme (OPEC Fund for International Development) (Loan Authorisation) Bill, 2026
13. Counter Terrorism (Amendment) Bill, 2026

Policies

1. National Health Insurance Policy

2. National Technical and Vocational Education and Training Policy

3. National Migration Policy

The significance of this legislative programme lies not in the number of Bills alone. Tax administration, public service and labour arrangements, land registration, agriculture, rural development, youth policy, constitutional architecture and other areas require modern legal frameworks before deeper institutional and economic outcomes can be realised. The next stage of accountability must therefore track not only passage of laws, but commencement, regulations, institutional implementation and measurable citizen or business outcomes.

Rebuilding Fiscal Resilience

The Government Investment Account is one of the clearest indicators of the fiscal constraints confronting the country and of the work required to rebuild national buffers. It should be assessed carefully because the account is affected by revenue inflows, expenditure, financing operations and valuation movements. A single month cannot, on its own, establish fiscal recovery.

At the end of November 2024, the Government Investment Account stood at approximately P1.97 billion. By the end of December 2024, it had fallen to approximately P250 million, illustrating the severity of the liquidity position at the beginning of the term. By November 2025, the account had risen to approximately P2.91 billion. The GIA closed in July 2026 at approximately P5 billion.

Government demonstrated an ability to rebuild the GIA materially during 2025, but the year-end position also confirms that the buffer remained volatile and had not yet been sustainably restored. The appropriate mid-term claim is that Government has begun rebuilding depleted fiscal buffers, not that fiscal restoration is complete.

This matters because the same period has required Government to finance expanded social protection, student support, public-service allowances, settlement of supplier obligations and other statutory responsibilities while operating in a constrained revenue environment. Fiscal performance must therefore be judged on two fronts: protecting essential delivery today while rebuilding the capacity of the State to absorb future shocks.

What Mid-Term Evidence Shows

First, the social protection agenda has moved from promise to payment. Old-age pension increases are reaching more than 154 000 citizens; a new Child Support Grant is operational; and free sanitary pads have reached tens of thousands of girls.

Second, support to students and public officers has translated into measurable additional household income. The tertiary allowance adjustment is already reflected in monthly payments, while the housing and upkeep allowance intervention has added approximately P630 million to payments to A to D band employees over the period reported.

Third, Government has acted on inherited obligations. Close to P7.0 billion in outstanding supplier obligations identified around the transition period were reported settled by July 2026, while 79 per cent of processed BDF pension claims had been paid by mid-August 2026.

Fourth, a substantial legislative and policy programme has been processed. The test for the next phase is implementation: whether these laws and policies improve jobs, productivity, public-service performance, land access, investment, justice and the daily experience of citizens.

From Outputs to Outcomes

This record gives government a foundation, but it also sharpens the accountability required. Some flagship commitments remain incomplete. The Old Age Pension is at P1 400 rather than the P1 800 commitment. The principal tertiary allowance is P2 200 rather than P2 500. The sanitary-pad programme requires a more reliable supply chain. Fiscal buffers require sustained rebuilding. And legislation already passed must now be translated into functioning institutions and measurable improvements.

For this reason, the second half of the term should be reported against a set of national outcome measures. These should include jobs created and sustained; household income and cost-of-living relief; access to quality health and education; time taken to deliver core public services; private investment mobilised; supplier payment turnaround; implementation of legislation; and the sustained level of fiscal buffers, including the Government Investment Account and the broader net financial asset position.

Leadership Transformation Programme

The Leadership Transformation Programme is a flagship reform intended to renew and strengthen leadership across the public service and build a more capable, agile and high-performing institution. Through deliberate succession planning, leadership development and workforce renewal, government intends to address persistent constraints to service and project delivery, an ageing leadership profile and limited opportunities for progression.

At its core, the programme signals government’s intention to renew the leadership pipeline while creating space for the next generation of public servants. It will provide opportunities for emerging talent and youth employment while ensuring that institutional knowledge, leadership capability and continuity are preserved. The intended result is a public service characterised by stronger leadership capability, improved productivity and service delivery, a sustainable leadership pipeline, greater opportunities for new talent, and renewed public trust in government’s ability to deliver.

Public Service Insourcing Programme

In line with Government’s commitment to promoting decent work, job security and employee welfare, the Public Service Insourcing Programme is being implemented through the Department of Public Service Management (DPSM). The programme targets essential support services, including cleaning, gardening and security, with an overall projection of approximately 9,380 jobs across the Public Service.

The programme represents an important shift towards strengthening employment security while enabling Government to directly manage and oversee essential support services. It is therefore not only an employment intervention, but also part of the broader effort to improve employee welfare, accountability and the quality of public service delivery.

Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the programme, which focus on the absorption of temporary employees across the Public Service, have made significant progress. Of the 4,909 eligible temporary employees, 4,366, representing 89%, have successfully been absorbed into permanent positions within the Public Service. The absorption covers the three targeted service areas: 2,611 employees in cleaning, 1,272 in security and 483 in gardening.

Phase 3 advances the programme further by opening recruitment for positions that were previously serviced through private contractors. A total of 4,471 positions have been created, with advertisements for these positions to be extended to the entire public. This phase therefore creates an opportunity to widen access to secure public-sector employment while strengthening Government’s direct capacity to provide essential services.

Phase 4 extends the insourcing programme to State-Owned Enterprises, with further job creation expected as the programme is rolled out across these entities.

Recruitment of employees to take over the outsourced services, which cost P404,189,139  from Private Contractors, shall require P 303, 618, 589 of which Government will realise a saving of about P 100 million. 

The progress made to date demonstrates Government’s commitment to moving beyond policy commitments and creating tangible opportunities for Batswana. The insourcing programme is improving employment security and livelihoods while strengthening Government’s capacity to directly manage essential support services. It is a practical expression of the Government’s commitment to decent work, which is creating secure employment, improving employee welfare and building a public service that is better positioned to deliver effectively to citizens.

Indigenous Languages Programme

As a Government committed to human rights, equality and inclusion, we believe that every Motswana must have a meaningful opportunity to participate in the national conversation. Language must never become a barrier to accessing public information, understanding Government programmes or participating fully in national life.

The Indigenous Languages Programme is therefore an important step in building a more inclusive Botswana. Broadcasting has now been introduced in 10 languages — Shekgalagadi, Naro, Sheyeyi, Ikalanga, Afrikaans, Chikuhane/Sesubiya, Thimbukushu, Otjiherero, Sebirwa and Setswapong bringing national information closer to communities in languages that reflect their identity and lived experience.

Government is now developing a State Media Language Policy to provide a sustainable framework for the representation of Botswana’s languages across television, radio, print and digital platforms. This is not simply about languages on air; it is about dignity, equality, cultural recognition and the human right to participate in the national life of our country.

Turning Presidential Diplomacy into Economic Opportunity

The President’s international engagements are increasingly opening new doors for Botswana and translating diplomacy into tangible economic opportunities. These engagements are about more than strengthening bilateral relations; they are about mobilising investment, unlocking capital, supporting infrastructure and creating opportunities for Batswana.

Among the investment and financing opportunities associated with these engagements are the 500MW Oman Solar Plant valued at approximately P13 billion in Maun; the Tshele Hills Fuel Plant investment of over P6 billion; a P2.2 billion UAE credit line for various medical supplies; and the Albadad Convention Centre investment of approximately P26 billion in Gaborone.

It is important that we also put the cost of these engagements into perspective. Over the first two years of the mandate, P27 million has been spent against an approved budget of P40 million for Presidential travel. The issue, therefore, is not simply the cost of travel, but whether our international engagements are advancing Botswana’s interests and creating value for the country.

Taken together, these opportunities demonstrate the economic value of purposeful Presidential diplomacy.  The message is that Botswana is open for business, our international partnerships must deliver tangible value, and Government will continue using diplomacy to attract investment, unlock opportunities and advance the economic interests of Batswana.

A Government Accountable for Results

Fellow Batswana, the purpose of this report is not to declare victory.  It is to demonstrate direction, progress and accountability.  There is empirical evidence that important commitments have moved beyond speeches and budgets into actual payments, services, laws and programmes.  There is equally evidence that some commitments are only partially delivered and that fiscal constraints remain real.

The central task is therefore clear: consolidate what has begun, correct what is not working, accelerate what is behind schedule and measure success increasingly by outcomes rather than activity.  The number of Bills passed matters only when the laws change lives. The amount budgeted matters only when it reaches the intended beneficiary. A programme launched matters only when it is reliable, accessible and produces the result for which it was created.

Our measure of progress must ultimately be the lived experience of Batswana: whether more people are working; whether older persons live with greater dignity; whether young people can study without basic financial hardship; whether girls can attend school without avoidable barriers; whether public officers are supported to serve effectively; whether suppliers are paid on time; whether veterans receive what is due to them; whether public finances are stronger; and whether citizens can see and feel that Government works.

Two years into the mandate, the evidence points to a government that has begun converting its programme into tangible delivery while confronting a difficult fiscal inheritance. The coming years must deepen that transition, from commitment to implementation, from implementation to measurable outcomes, and from measurable outcomes to lasting improvements in the quality of life of every Motswana.