Kgatleng District councillors have joined a growing chorus demanding that government finally bring the long-awaited Tobacco Control Act of 2021 into operation.
The councillors say the continued delay is leaving communities exposed to tobacco and nicotine-related harm while the popularity of vaping among young people continues to grow. The concerns emerged during an Anti Tobacco Network (ATN) engagement on September 24, 2026, involving Kgatleng Deputy Council Chairperson Solomon Letshwiti N. and fellow councillors.
The engagement formed part of ATN’s Clean Air Project, which the organisation says has now reached 16 full councils across Botswana.
Speakers questioned how long can Botswana have a tobacco-control law on the statute books without fully implementing it?
Senior councillor Mogapi Mooki gave the debate a personal dimension by sharing his own experience of battling addiction.
“There is need for stressing the need for prevention, public awareness and support for people battling dependence,” Mooki said.
Mooki’s intervention brought the debate beyond legislation and statistics. It put on the spotlight the reality that addiction can become a long-term struggle and that prevention must begin before young people develop patterns of dependence.
He thanked ATN for educating communities and engaging local authorities on tobacco-control issues, while urging stronger measures to prevent young people from becoming dependent on tobacco and nicotine products.
Mooki’s intervention brought the debate beyond legislation and statistics. It put on the spotlight the reality that addiction can become a long-term struggle and that prevention must begin before young people develop patterns of dependence.
Councillors are particularly concerned about electronic cigarettes and the growing visibility of vaping among young people.
ATN has cited findings from the 2024 Global School-based Student Health Survey, including an electronic-cigarette use figure of 11.1 percent among children.
The network has also raised concerns that some vaping devices may be designed or presented in ways that make them difficult for adults to identify.
The councillors argue that flavours, aromas and modern-looking devices can make vaping attractive to young people while obscuring the risks associated with nicotine dependence.
The Tobacco Control Act provides a framework for regulating tobacco products, advertising, packaging, sales and exposure to tobacco smoke.
It also provides restrictions on sales to people under 21 and covers electronic cigarettes and other nicotine-delivery products.
But the legislation requires further steps before it can become fully operational.
According to information supplied by ATN, regulations necessary for implementation have been developed but remain unsigned.
That delay has increasingly become the target of criticism from local government representatives.
Charles Hill East Councillor Matthews Moapare, speaking during the wider council engagements, highlighted the enforcement problem already confronting communities.
“People smoke even where it is clearly prohibited,” Moapare said.
His comment points to a wider problem: even where restrictions exist, enforcement remains difficult if the regulatory framework is incomplete or inconsistently applied.
“The Act was passed in 2021, and if it is still not in use to this day, I am afraid that we will soon find ourselves responsible for problems that we cannot come back from,” Sekete said.
Chobe District Councillor Boitumelo Kanyetu has also called for greater public awareness of tobacco-related illnesses and the dangers posed by second-hand smoke.
Ghanzi District Councillor Kelebogile Taeyele similarly supported calls for the regulations to be signed, particularly to strengthen protections for children.
Gaborone Deputy Mayor Mankie Sekete has issued an even stronger warning over the cost of continued inaction.
“The Act was passed in 2021, and if it is still not in use to this day, I am afraid that we will soon find ourselves responsible for problems that we cannot come back from,” Sekete said.
She also warned about the appeal of vaping products to young people.
“The pleasant smells and flavours are fooling young people into thinking it is not as dangerous as it actually is,” she said.
The growing pressure from councils suggests that tobacco control is no longer being viewed merely as a national legislative issue.
Councillors argue that the issue is increasingly a community protection issue involving schools, public spaces, retailers, families and young people.
