GABORONE: Batswana head for the polls on Wednesday in a general election that is widely expected to return President Mokgweetsi Masisi to office.
It would be highly unusual if the people of Botswana voted differently. By majority rule, they support the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) which has provided them with capable government and visionary leadership that has slowly turned one of Africa’s poorest nation’s into a paradise of economic prosperity, political stability and social progress that in 2024 brought Africa its first Olympic gold medal.
On Wednesday will elect members of the National Assembly, who will then choose the president. The election is contested by three other parties beside Masisi’s BDP.
There is Duma Boko, of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), an opposition coalition. A lawyer by profession, Boko is running for the presidency for the third time. His party, which came second in the 2019 election, remains the BDP’s most significant challenger.
There is also Dumelang Saleshando leads the Botswana Congress Party (BCP), which was founded in 1998. The BCP typically garners between 10-20% of the vote. Saleshando took over leadership of the party from his father in 2010, and his campaign is focused on social democratic principles, with the motto ‘Save Botswana.’ While his party has not posed a major threat in past elections, he remains a significant figure in opposition politics.
Then there is Mephato Reatile, leader of the Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF). The BPF was created in 2019 by members of the ruling party loyal to former president Ian Khama, following his public fallout with Masisi. The party only won about 4 percent of the vote in 2019, but Khama’s return from three years in exile (some of it spent in Eswatini) to support the BPF could boost its standing. Political observers say Khama, the son of Botswana’s founding president has a strong political legacy, and his backing of the BPF makes the election result unpredictable.
The election is another feather in the cap for Botswana, respected as Africa’s most sustainable democracy.
From the days when they were part of a sort of colonial confederation of Bechuanaland, Lesotholand and Swaziland, Batswana have followed an unorthodox path from the start.
While Lesotho and Swaziland became Kingdoms, Botswana’s independence leader Seretse Khama suffered a highly visible victimization by both British government duplicity and South African racism. Khama, at 4-years-old inherited the paramount chieftaincy of the Bangwato, one of the major tribes of Botswana. While studying in London, he upset the British Government when he married a white British woman, Ruth Williams. The British who ruled Botswana as a protectorate barred him from the chieftaincy. His high-profile multiracial marriage right next door to South Africa had all the ingredients that upset South Africa’s apartheid policy of racial segregation. Pretoria put pressure on the British to exile Khama back to the UK in 1951.
After 5 years of exile, international pressure forced the British to allow his to Botswana, as a commoner. It’s an experience that may have shaped Khama who formed the BDP in 1961, and won election becoming Prime Minister in 1965, then president when Botswana became a republic at independence. Under President Khama’s leadership, prudent policies and wise investment of state resources, Botswana underwent rapid economic and social development, boasting one of the world’s fastest growing economies. Within a span of 16 years, Botswana went from being one of the poorest African countries to one of the wealthiest (measured by gross domestic product). Forty-Four years after Khama’s death, Botswana continues to serve as a beacon of prosperity and development on the continent and is an outstanding example of good governance.
The High Commission territories shared the university of Botswana Lesotho and Swaziland (UBLS) based at Roma, Lesotho which developed the administration and intelligentsia of post-independence Southern Africa. Botswana and Swaziland subsequently found the arrangement unfair, and for their part, Lesotho booted the two out in 1974. Botswana and Swaziland collaborated for some time, bringing Professor Cyril Rogers who headed UBLS to Kwaluseni. When the two separated amicably, Botswana went on to build 8 other universities on the foundations of the University of Botswana. Eswatini formed UNESWA which continues to struggle.
Botswana leaders have been independent and courageous. The BLS countries shared the Rand as a common currency from 1961. After independence Eswatini and Lesotho formed their own Central Banks and issued their own currencies within the Rand Monetary Area, pegging their currency to the South African Rand. Botswana on the other hand sought complete monetary independence and eschewed continued association with South Africa when they launched their central bank. Their currency, Pula was backed by their newly found confidence in a diamonds mining economy.
Masisi who served as vice president to Ian Khama and took office in 2018 has continued with the fierce independence and calculated risk-taking of his predecessors. Anglo American’s De Beers historically enjoyed exclusive access to Botswana’s diamonds, giving Batswana a small 10% share of the mined minerals. When that agreement came up for renewal two years ago, Masisi told De Beers to shape-up or ship-out. It was a delicate risk.
Eventually the two agreed to Botswana immediately getting a 30 percent share of the rough stones extracted, which will be improved continuously until it is a 50-50 deal, within 10 years.
Jm/wire agencies/today/27.10.2024
