Botswana is gearing itself for a general election. Opposition parties are struggling to come to an understanding to win the race under the banner of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC). Will they make any grade is the question posed by political analysts in the poll-bound State? Many are speculating whether there will be a change of guard in one of the oldest democracies of Africa. The ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) has run the southern African nation since independence in 1966 from the United Kingdom.
The mineral-rich Botswana has great credentials. First and foremost, as one of the countries in Africa where democracy has taken solid routes. It is also hailed as one of the few countries in Africa, where fiscal profligacy is not much evidence and had invested the money received from mineral resources wisely in education and infrastructure. As a result, Botswana’s GDP per capita has surged from around US$70 per year in the late 1960s to $8,259 in 2018.
As the country stands at crossroads and is experiencing the possibility of a change of government, not many are concerned about who would occupy the top position. They are keen that the political stability and economic recovery that was scripted since independence should continue.
It is also instructive to have an insight into the political dynamics at play in the southern African state. Significantly, Ian Khama, the former president and son of Botswana’s founding father, has allied himself with the opposition coalition, the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC). The reason for his alienation from the ruling Botswana Democratic Party, which was co-founded by his father, last year, was his side lining by President Mokgweetsi Masisi after taking power. Masisi put several restrictions on Khama including his access to state aircraft. He also sacked his allies in positions of power. Masisi also hit out on his former mentor, an ardent conservationist, by lifting a ban Khama enacted on elephant hunting. After leaving the party in 2018, Khama founded the Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF), which has since declared their allegiance to the UDC. The country’s last election in 2014 was very close. The opposition won 53.6% of the popular vote, but the BDP retained power because of the country’s first-past-the-post electoral system. With Khama having exceeded the maximum of two five year-terms in office, leader of the opposition Duma Boko will be the coalition’s candidate.
