Concluding his State of the Nation Address, President Duma Boko looked forward, promising a year focused relentlessly on “delivering more results.” The administration, having spent the previous twelve months “fully diagnosing the problems that have held us back; corruption, inefficiency, economic stagnation and the erosion of public confidence,” is now ready to measure success “not by intentions but by outcomes, by homes built, the jobs created, the youth employed, the farms revived, and the systems reformed.” He encouraged unity, urging citizens to “stay united Batswana Betsho and continue to build together.”
On the international stage, Botswana is cementing its role as a regional and global leader. Diplomatic relations were established with new partners, including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, and Oman, and plans were announced to expand diplomatic missions to six other jurisdictions. Most notably, Botswana has presented its candidature for the non-permanent seat of the United Nations Security Council for the term 2030–2031, seeking to champion constitutionalism, democracy, and human rights on a global level, having served once before in 1995-1996. The President stressed that National Defence is the cornerstone of sovereignty, with the military being crucial in maintaining the peace and stability necessary for sustainable growth, noting that Botswana currently serves as a member of the African Union Peace and Security Council for the 2024-2025 term.
He closed with a powerful call for national cohesion, quoting Kwame Nkrumah: “The forces that unite us are intrinsic and greater than the superimposed influences that keep us apart.” This unity, embodied by the cherished Botho spirit, he stressed, is the nation’s “greatest national resource,” the foundation for delivering “a country like no other on the African continent.” The steady path, he affirmed, continues, “taken one step at a time.”
