Almost every year like clockwork, we continue to have the exact same concerns and complaints when it comes to what one might have thought was the most basic service provision in an urban centre: power. Well, not quite as basic, as reality would have it.I pay for power to come on when I flip the switch. Meanwhile, the taxman takes a not-so-insignificant percentage of my hard-earned cash. I am told he gives this off-take to the Government to run Botswana. This would mean part of my taxes go towards power station construction and up-keep. And yet, what I am paying for and what I am getting do not match up… I am being robbed.So in true Batswana style, to whom do I direct my blame? I am sick and tired of reading depressing news. I am nearing becoming violently ill from the constant drone of silly, childish and plain outright self-serving ‘commentary’ from people not making any real change or impact on this issue. Few offer any real solutions. I would like to use a good American descriptor: baloney. Yes, baloney. Will those that have something valuable to truly add please stand up and be counted?!This is quite revitalising, this venting. Suddenly, I feel alive! From my office chair, I can blame everyone around me for all matter of shortcomings. But is that really fair? I put it to you that the power situation in Botswana is too big for just one person to carry the blame. If that is the case, then what gain is there by the media, stakeholders and public pointing fingers?.The point I am trying to get to is this: “Can we fix anything by passing the blame?” Sadly, in Botswana, this seems to be the standard response. Blame everyone around you but never get involved in the solution itself. I have heard many say that it is our responsibility to comment when we are not happy. I am not challenging this. What I am challenging is what we hope our comments will achieve. My view is that, yes, we can and should comment and complain about the power issue; but we need to balance this with action too, from each and every one of us.Let me remind us all that we were warned about the ensuing power issues that we continue to face. I recall reading about it many years ago. How many of us materially changed our power usage? Seriously, how many of us actually turn off the geyser when we go to work? How many of us installed solar power lighting to support the mains? Yes, those in the Government offices and parastatals need to do the work we put them in charge to do; nonetheless, we cannot abscond from doing our part too.Based on the manner in which we attack our Government and the thousands of civil servants we employ, you would think Botswana was a hellhole. Well, let me give you the news folks: no matter what the water fountain talk is, Botswana is a great place to live and raise a family. Yes, we are not perfect. #Fact. But we are certainly not nearly as bad as WE make it out to be.So here is my ask this: let us cheer up a little; it is really not that bad. These economic times are tough for all of us. The power and water being as they are does not help. My response is to work with what I have at hand and be grateful. Maybe we have not reached our National Vision in totality yet, but I do not believe we have totally lost our way.Infuriating as it may be sitting in the dark for a while or strategically planning when and where to shower so you can get in to work on time is not the end of the world. Let us just smile a little more and complain a little less, no?We must do our part to lighten (see what I did there?) the load.
Almost every year like clockwork, we continue to have the exact same concerns and complaints when it comes to what one might have thought was the most basic service provision in an urban centre: power. Well, not quite as basic, as reality would have it.I pay for power to come on when I flip the switch. Meanwhile, the taxman takes a not-so-insignificant percentage of my hard-earned cash. I am told he gives this off-take to the Government to run Botswana. This would mean part of my taxes go towards power station construction and up-keep. And yet, what I am paying for and what I am getting do not match up… I am being robbed.So in true Batswana style, to whom do I direct my blame? I am sick and tired of reading depressing news. I am nearing becoming violently ill from the constant drone of silly, childish and plain outright self-serving ‘commentary’ from people not making any real change or impact on this issue. Few offer any real solutions. I would like to use a good American descriptor: baloney. Yes, baloney. Will those that have something valuable to truly add please stand up and be counted?!This is quite revitalising, this venting. Suddenly, I feel alive! From my office chair, I can blame everyone around me for all matter of shortcomings. But is that really fair? I put it to you that the power situation in Botswana is too big for just one person to carry the blame. If that is the case, then what gain is there by the media, stakeholders and public pointing fingers?.The point I am trying to get to is this: “Can we fix anything by passing the blame?” Sadly, in Botswana, this seems to be the standard response. Blame everyone around you but never get involved in the solution itself. I have heard many say that it is our responsibility to comment when we are not happy. I am not challenging this. What I am challenging is what we hope our comments will achieve. My view is that, yes, we can and should comment and complain about the power issue; but we need to balance this with action too, from each and every one of us.Let me remind us all that we were warned about the ensuing power issues that we continue to face. I recall reading about it many years ago. How many of us materially changed our power usage? Seriously, how many of us actually turn off the geyser when we go to work? How many of us installed solar power lighting to support the mains? Yes, those in the Government offices and parastatals need to do the work we put them in charge to do; nonetheless, we cannot abscond from doing our part too.Based on the manner in which we attack our Government and the thousands of civil servants we employ, you would think Botswana was a hellhole. Well, let me give you the news folks: no matter what the water fountain talk is, Botswana is a great place to live and raise a family. Yes, we are not perfect. #Fact. But we are certainly not nearly as bad as WE make it out to be.So here is my ask this: let us cheer up a little; it is really not that bad. These economic times are tough for all of us. The power and water being as they are does not help. My response is to work with what I have at hand and be grateful. Maybe we have not reached our National Vision in totality yet, but I do not believe we have totally lost our way.Infuriating as it may be sitting in the dark for a while or strategically planning when and where to shower so you can get in to work on time is not the end of the world. Let us just smile a little more and complain a little less, no?We must do our part to lighten (see what I did there?) the load.