SANF 24 no 42 by Clarkson Mambo
“Our democracy has demonstrated, more than it has before, that this is a mature democracy.”
These were the words said by Duma Boko after being inaugurated as the sixth President of Botswana on 1 November following his party’s victory in the general elections held on 30 October.
In what was largely an unexpected result, the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), a coalition of former opposition parties, comprehensively won the general elections ahead of the then governing party, the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) which is led by former President Mokgweetsi Masisi.
The BDP, formed by Botswana’s founding President Sir Seretse Khama, had been in power for 58 years since independence in 1966, and had largely been tipped to win the polls.
Botswana uses a single constituency electoral system of First-Past-The-Post for the election of MPs. Elected MPs then act as an electoral college to choose the President, usually the leader of the party with the highest parliamentary seats.
To form a government, a party needed to win at least 31 out of the 61 contested national assembly seats.
Final results released by the Independent Electoral Commission of Botswana (IEC) show that the UDC had 36 seats, followed by the Botswana Congress Party with 14, the Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) with five and the BDP a distant fourth place, with four seats.
For a party formed in 2012, ahead of the 2014 general elections, this was the UDC’s third attempt at forming a new government, having come short at the first two attempts.
In the last elections held in 2019, the UDC managed to win 15 seats against the BDP’s 38 and three for BPF.
“It is an enormous responsibility, it’s a humbling responsibility. I dare not fail, I dare not disappoint,” said Boko on taking over as the new Head of State.
Boko (54) studied law at the University of Botswana (UB) for his first degree and at Havard Law School for Masters. After obtaining his master’s degree, he returned as a lecturer at UB, while also running a private practise as a lawyer.
He became the leader of the Botswana National Front (BNF) in 2010, before deciding to join with three other parties to form the UDC two years later.
In its campaign message, the UDC promised change, insisting that the BDP has overtime failed to deliver inclusive growth, which cascades to an improved standard of living for the ordinary person.
The party promised voters it will “transform Botswana into a regional hub in tourism and hospitality, transportation and infrastructure, banking and finance, innovation and information communication technologies, education and health.”
Top on the UDC’s election promises were the creation of at least 100 000 jobs in the first year in power, an increase in the minimum wage to 3,000 Pula and payment of an old age pension of 1,500 Pula per month.
Boko said his immediate task was to stabilize the economy, as well as work towards its diversification to stop the over-reliance on diamonds.
“We have to try and safe guard the goose that lays the golden egg in the short to medium term while we look at how to diversify the economy,” he said.
Boko’s ascension to the helm of Botswana’s leadership was welcomed by leaders across SADC, who lauded the smooth political transition which attests to the strong tenets of democracy the region is aiming to achieve.
SADC is striving to ensure that all member states follow the Revised SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections (2021) to consolidate democracy in the region by enhancing
best electoral practices.
The SADC Electoral Observation Mission described the elections as conducted in a “peaceful and orderly manner where the Batswana people exercised their democratic right to vote.”
One of the key attributes towards attaining peace, security and good governance as espoused in the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) 2020-2030 and SADC Vision 2050 is to ensure seamless power handovers when elections present a result that necessitate a change in government.
Masisi conceded that the BDP lost the election, congratulating Boko for winning, even before the IEC announced the final results.
“Together, let us uphold the values of peace and ensure a smooth and seamless transition. This moment is a testament to our commitment to democracy and the strength of our nation,” he said.
On 4 November, Masisi conducted the administrative handover of the Office of the President to the new Head of State.
The chairperson of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, President Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania lauded the gesture.
“I salute His Excellency President Mokgweetsi Masisi and the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) leadership for their commitment to ensuring a smooth transition,” she said.
SADC chairperson, President Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe said he looked forward to working with the new leader “at regional, continental and multilateral fora, in pursuit of a just global, political and economic order.”
The President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa said, “The success of the election in our sister nation is an important and affirming demonstration of democratic maturity in our region and on our continent.”
Botswana is one of the founding member states of SADC and hosts the regional organisation’s headquarters. sardc.net
