24 Feb 2025

Government has set a target to scale up electricity production to at least 8000 megawatts within the next four years as part of ongoing efforts to modernise the energy sector with strategic shift towards a solar dominated energy industry.

President Advocate Duma Boko made the remarks during the official opening  of the SADC Sustainable Energy Week in Gaborone yesterday.

He said it was important to acknowledge that energy was a fundamental human right and  there was need to improve and accelerate the capacity to generate and distribute it in its various forms with preference to renewable energy sources.

President Boko said investing in sustainable energy was not only an environment decision but rather an economic imperative.

“We believe that by so doing, we would have laid a foundation for a more sustainable and competitive energy landscape,” he said.

President Boko noted that as a member of the global village, Botswana was a signatory to some agreements and treaties among them the Paris Agreement and the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol signed in 2016.

Similarly, he said it was estimated for Africa to meet 60 per cent of its energy requirement through renewables by 2050.

President Boko said the SADC region was renowned for vast renewable resources which could be harnessed for socio-economic benefit.

In this regard, he called for the development of well-planned energy systems, policies and frameworks as well as responsive financing mechanism and well capacitated institutions to harness the renewable energy sector.

 He said SADC member states should act boldly and partner with the private sector to mobilise private capita to build the necessary infrastructure and cultivate the talent and the knowledge necessary to sustain the regional energy sector.

“I call upon everyone to be innovative and exploit the available value chains to create jobs and grow our countries economy,” he said.

President Boko said the SADC region faced challenges related to energy poverty which was a constraint to the regional economy, as it left rural dwellers with limited access to critical services like health, education and communications.

“A clarion call for an energy secure region is therefore urgent in order to drive industrialisation and integration of our economies in pursuit of fulfilling the vision of Africa Free Continental Trade Area Agreement (AFCTA),” he said.

He said the implementation of energy supply strategies needed collective efforts as they transcended boundaries.

“A sustainable energy future, requires deep cooperation across borders, therefore by developing regional energy projects, harmonising policies and sharing best practices we can maximise the benefits of our collective resources,” he said.

 President Boko therefore, called for collaborations in the energy sector such as the SADC Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (SACREEE), for promoting wide adoption of renewables and energy efficiencies in the region.

He thus pleaded with each SADC member states to prioritise sustainable energy policies in their national development agendas and revise the renewable energy and energy efficiency projects.

He said countries should establish initiatives and force environmental protections as well as establish clear road maps for a just and equitable energy transition which was relevant to the realities of the regions.

President Boko indicated that SADC should as a region set tangible targets to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and increase the use of renewable energy sources. ENDS