Politics of Botswana
The legislature is made up of the unicameral National Assembly and the advisory body of tribal chiefs, the Ntlo ya Dikgosi.
Elections were held on 30 October 2024, in which the Umbrella for Democratic Change won and took power, ending the BDP's rule since 1966, with Duma Boko being sworn in as President on 1 November 2024.
Economic policy in Botswana revolves around the nation's lucrative diamond industry, which makes up a significant portion of the economy.
Wealth inequality remains high and welfare programs are limited, but public services and infrastructure receive strong funding.
The Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) was formed by Seretse Khama in 1962 as part of a negotiated independence process.
[2] Institutions and traditions from both precolonial Tswana society and colonial British rule were retained following independence and continue to influence the politics of Botswana.
Mompati Merafhe and his supporters—namely David Magang, Bahiti Temane, Roy Blackbeard, and Chapson Butale—formed an opposing faction, the Big Five.
[14] After the BDP's poor performance in the 1994 election, South African academic Lawrence Schlemmer was brought in by the party to provide a political strategy.
[12] He chose Ian Khama as vice president, and while the two were nominally non-factional, they effectively supported the A-Team faction of Merafhe and Nkate.
[17] The BDP underwent its first split in 2010 when Khama encouraged the Barata-Phathi faction to leave the party, and they formed the Botswana Movement for Democracy, led by Gomolemo Motswaledi.
Despite this division, opposition UDC was able to gain an outright majority of seats in the parliament and Duma Boko was elected to the Presidency.
[33] Kgotlas predate Botswana's independence and represent the traditional mode of government in which a chief ruled as the first among equals.
Tswana chiefs were historically more accountable to the people than in other African societies, as the region's main industry, cattle farming, allowed farmers more mobility and independence than would be provided by growing crops.
The foundation of Botswana's economic policy was set by the first post-independence government in the 1960s, incorporating a self-sustaining budget system through a series of national development plans.
[27] Botswana's dependence on the diamond industry has led to diversification of the economy becoming one of the nation's major economic policy goals throughout its history.
[44] The economy of colonial Bechuanaland focused on cattle farming, and this was the primary industry for the first decade of Botswana's independence.
[47] This incentivised the government to pursue a commodity economy from mining, supplemented with smaller industries such as beef farming, manufacturing, and tourism.
[42] The country's economic success is attributed to neoliberal policies of free markets and private property protections, significantly increasing the population's post-independence living standards.
Botswana's political and economic success relative to other countries in Africa has led it to play a larger role in regional and global affairs.
By the end of the 20th century, Botswana had begun sending financial and military support to neighbouring countries and international organisations.
[48] Its landlocked territory and export-driven economy have incentivised it to maintain strong diplomatic ties with other countries,[11] and its low population and proximity to unstable governments have caused Botswana to work closely with international organisations for security and resources.
[11] As South Africa liberalised after 1994, Botswana's primary foreign policy concern became the instability in neighbouring Zimbabwe.
During the presidency of Ian Khama, it shifted to an idealist foreign policy, in which it routinely criticised governments for human rights violations.
During this period, it was often the only member of the African Union to support the International Criminal Court or to condemn human rights violations in autocratic nations.
[49] Botswana's relative wealth compared to other countries in the region has allowed for high spending on public services such as education, health, and infrastructure.
[10] Welfare programs in Botswana are relatively limited and subject to means testing, and there is no national level social security.
[51] Transparency International has regularly recognised Botswana as the least corrupt country in Africa,[34] and it is often described as comparable to the liberal democracies of Western Europe.
[50] One potential issues for human rights in Botswana is the lack of strong checks and balances in the government, which allows the president to exercise wide latitude over policy and arbitrarily curtail free speech.
Confrontational approaches to human rights such as protest, strike action, and public condemnation are often seen as uncivil foreign inventions.
Among the most active is the Botswana Network on Ethics, Law and HIV/AIDS, which emphasises response to HIV but also addresses other areas such as the rights of women, children, and LGBT people.
