Botswana’s ruling party, in power for nearly 60 years, is trying to cheat in Wednesday’s general election by using language commonly associated with long-suffering opposition groups.
The Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) calls for “change” in its manifesto.
“Let us transform together and build prosperity for all,” President Mokgweetsi Masisi, who has presided over the country since 2018, wrote in the foreword.
It’s an acknowledgment that things need to be done differently. The opposition party argues that the president’s political party is not in a position to do so.
The BDP has won significant parliamentary majorities in 11 elections since independence in 1966, although analysts say the outcome of this election is difficult to predict.
From then on, whenever the National Assembly elected a head of state, the presidency was secured.
The BDP is credited with overseeing the peaceful and dramatic transformation of a poor country with only a few kilometers of tarred roads at independence into one with the highest average standard of living on the continent.
Underpinning this change was Botswana’s vast diamond reserves. Measured by value, Botswana is the world’s largest producer of gemstones.
But all is not well yet.
Botswana faces great economic challenges. So Masisi talks about change.
According to the World Bank, more than one in four people in the workforce are unemployed, and the proportion is even higher among young people.
Zibani Maundeni, a political science professor at the University of Botswana, described it as a “jobless economy.”
“We are producing graduates every year, but the economy is not creating enough jobs for them.” He told the BBC’s Africa Daily podcast:.
Moreover, Botswana’s wealth is not distributed equally among its 2.3 million people.
Using a measure known as the Gini index, researchers say: One of the most unequal countries in the world.
And the diamond industry appears to be under pressure globally as demand declines.
But Masisi and his party continue to show confidence.
At a campaign rally in an opposition stronghold in central Botswana, the president arrived in style in an electric car assembled in Botswana.
Once outside, the 63-year-old former teacher, dressed in party colors of red and white, greeted supporters and danced towards the stage.
Laughter echoed through the crowd as Masisi’s humor and charisma moved the audience.
The region, home to former president Ian Khama, elected three opposition lawmakers in 2019.
It said Khama regretted choosing Masisi as his successor after he broke away from the BDP to help create the Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF).
A dramatic conflict between the two led Khama to flee the country, accusing the government of trying to poison him.
Khama was indicted on charges including money laundering, which he denied.
It also ended his family’s political dominance. His father, Sir Seretse Khama, was the country’s first president and served for 14 years from 1966.
Masisi pleaded with voters at the rally to return to the BDP, saying: “I’m sorry. Please go home and call others too.”
Hair salon owner Thandiwe Potso, 32, seemed convinced.
“Masisi truly understood our challenges and offered better programs to fund our business.” She told the BBC with confidence in her eyes.
An allocation year of 45 was agreed upon.
“As you can see, his policies have helped us grow, like we no longer import vegetables. I believe in his vision for our future,” the small business owner said.
But polls show many others may not be as easy to convince.
Respected non-partisan polling organization Afrobarometer published a corruption report earlier this year..
The report said that despite the country ranking highly on the continent for good governance, Botswana people have a negative view of the government, believing it to have high levels of corruption.
“A strong majority expresses little or no confidence in the sitting president and disapproves of the way he is doing his job,” he said.
BDP spokesman Kagelelo Banks Kentse questioned the reliability of the poll.
He claimed Afrobarometer had underestimated support for the BDP in previous elections and thought this would be no different. Although the party takes nothing for granted.
“It would be very wrong to say we are overly confident,” Kentse told the BBC.
“I always hear people say, ‘This is the toughest election we’ve ever had.’ But we say that every election year. You can never win before the actual vote.”
He acknowledged that unemployment figures did not paint a good picture, but insisted every country on the continent was experiencing similar problems, adding that his party had pledged to create 300,000 more jobs.
Kentse also touted the intense negotiations he signed with diamond company De Beers last year to allow Masisi to benefit more from Botswana’s natural resources.
Initially, the state will account for 30% of the rough diamonds mined in the country, up from 25% it previously had, rising to 50% within 10 years.
But Dumelang Saleshando, the leader of one of the largest opposition parties, insisted the government was merely copying the ideas of others.
He said the Botswana Congress Party (BCP) had set a jobs target first, but the BDP had previously rejected this, saying it was better to leave it to the free market.
One of the slogans distributed by Saleshando is “Save Botswana”.
“I think people have seen what BDP is,” he told the BBC.
“It cannot claim to be an agent of change. In the past they have always tried to say that it is about maintaining stability, and in their panic they are trying to preach something they do not believe in.”
Supporters of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), another opposition party that won the second-most votes in 2019, came out north of the capital Gaborone.
Wearing blue and white T-shirts and hats, they cheered for leader Duma Boko.
Unlike Masisi, Boko generally maintained a serious tone to emphasize how much people were suffering under the BDP.
He claimed there was an attempt to manipulate the polls.
“I urge all of you to be vigilant and protect your vote by remaining at the polls even after voting for BDP,” he said.
Thapelo Dimpe, 45, a former teacher, has no doubts about why he wants to see the president and his group. defeat.
“Masisi has failed us on education reform. UDC plans to invest in our schools and empower our youth to get the education they deserve,” he said.
The government has many problems that could erode support, but a divided opposition could allow the BDP to remain in power.
All members are elected on a rotating basis. This means that BDP only needs to get the most votes in over 50% of constituencies to win seats.
In seats where the UDC, BCP, BPF or several other parties are running, the opposition vote may be split, meaning the BDP could enter.
Political analyst Lesole Machacha told the BBC: “These parties seem to have factionalism within themselves. They keep reporting their internal problems to the media. They are not really united.”
But he also pointed out that the BDP also had problems.
“The ruling party is not 100% intact and there are problems. “In some constituencies, BDP politicians who are dissatisfied with the primary election process may run as independent candidates, dividing the voting bloc,” Mr. Machacha said.
All this makes for a highly competitive and unpredictable election, he added.
For one of Africa’s most successful political parties, the question now is whether enough people are confident it can oversee the change the country needs.