Vice President says it is bad economics
In a riveting parliamentary session, Vice President and Finance Minister Ndaba Gaolathe delivered a blistering critique of Botswana’s contentious vegetable import ban, denouncing it as “very bad economics” during an impassioned exchange with Maun East representative Goretetse Kekgonegile. Gaolathe’s assessment laid bare the policy’s unintended consequences, revealing how a measure designed to bolster local agriculture has instead amplified economic hardships and derailed broader developmental aspirations.
With surgical precision, Gaolathe dissected the ban’s devastating impact on ordinary citizens, particularly society’s most vulnerable members. He illuminated how the policy has triggered a cascade of escalating vegetable prices, forcing financially strained families to allocate an even larger portion of their limited resources to basic sustenance. “What is happening now is that food and vegetables have become more expensive in Botswana,” he explained. “Low-income groups—people who are struggling—spend a greater percentage of their income on food. The people that are hurt most are actually low-income groups.”
While acknowledging the policy’s silver lining for local agricultural producers, Gaolathe dismissed the import prohibition as an unsustainable solution. He advocated for a more nuanced approach to agricultural development, emphasizing the need for targeted support mechanisms. “Yes, vegetable farmers are benefiting, and the industry is growing. But the way to grow it is not necessarily to ban imports. We need to subsidize them directly with proper, targeted funding. We also need to invest in research and development and provide mentorship to farmers to build their capacity,” said Gaolathe.
The Vice President championed a paradigm shift toward export-oriented industries, asserting that Botswana’s modest domestic market cannot generate substantial employment through protectionist measures like the vegetable ban. “Botswana is a small country. The way this country is going to create jobs for its people is to create industries that export to the rest of Africa and the globe,” he declared. “The idea of banning imports is shortsighted and counterproductive.”
In a calculated political maneuver, Gaolathe drew a clear distinction between the Botswana Congress Party’s (BCP) position and the controversial ban, refuting suggestions that his party’s “Bring Back Our Jobs” campaign endorsed such restrictive policies. “I don’t believe that the BCP’s idea of bringing back jobs necessarily means you must support the ban,” he affirmed.
The Vice President’s unflinching assessment is poised to intensify scrutiny of the vegetable import ban, a measure implemented to stimulate domestic agriculture but increasingly criticized for exacerbating food costs and undermining nutritional security. Critics maintain that despite generating short-term advantages for farmers, the policy fails to address the fundamental reforms necessary to forge a globally competitive agricultural sector.
As Botswana grapples with the intricate balance between food security, poverty reduction, and sustainable economic growth, Gaolathe’s incisive critique exposes deepening fissures within the political establishment over the optimal path toward national development.
