BOTSWANA HAS PROVED IT’S DEMOCRACY IS SOLID

Before I delve into the topic for the day, let me express my disappointment regarding the water tariff increase that was approved by members of Parliament. It is indeed surprising that the honourable members of Parliament are fully aware that emaSwati are struggling financially. Unemployment and underemployment are very high.

The working class has been struggling to secure salary increases to mitigate the high cost of living. It is indeed disappointing that when the MPs were canvassing for elections, they made promises to the voters, especially as it relates to addressing the interests of the voters. I sense a disconnect between their campaign messages and how they behave once they have secured the plum job in Parliament.

Proposal

Unfortunately, the Eswatini Electricity Company has also made a proposal to increase tariffs. We trust that ESCOM will be able to engage stakeholders in all corners of the country so that consumers’ interests and capacity to pay are taken into account. I would like to congratulate the Batswana founding fathers, led by Sir Seretse Khama, who, at independence in 1966, embraced multiparty democracy. I recall when we were at primary school level, Botswana, Swaziland (now Eswatini), and Lesotho were known as the BLS countries. Botswana was very poor compared to our country before the discovery of diamonds that unlocked unprecedented levels of development in that country. Whereas many countries regarded minerals as a curse, it was not so in Botswana, as the government then laid a solid foundation for diamonds to be used to prosper the Tswanas.

Today, Botswana is one of the best examples of how good governance can change people’s lives, as opposed to changing the lives of the political elites. The 2024 elections were indeed consequential elections that have dramatically changed Botswana’s political landscape. After 58 years in power, the Botswana Democratic Party, founded by the father of that nation, Sir Seretse Khama, was humiliated at the polls.

Persecution

It was a clear indication that the Dr Masisi-led government had veered off course. The persecution of the former president, Ian Khama, and his family, which resulted in the self-imposed exile of the former president in South Africa and Eswatini, was not acceptable to Batswana, among other challenges such as the economic downturn. The ruling party had taken Batswana for granted for having entrusted them with power for 58 years. They forgot that it is the people who are sovereign, not the party. Those Tswanas with whom I was in contact in civil society pointed out that the government had lost its legitimacy, and hence, the outcome of the election came as no surprise. They also credit the young people who turned out in large numbers to change the history of their country.

What I would also like to observe is that the former president, who endured persecution from the ruling party, decided to abandon his father’s political organisation and formed his own political party.  Unfortunately, his political party, like the ruling party, performed poorly at the polls. This outcome indicates that Batswana also rejected him at the polls, which was a different outcome for the former President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma, whose new political party received the third highest votes. This is a lesson that political parties and political leaders should never assume that their political party or leader is popular; rather, what is required is to work hard to convince voters that the political organisation will serve the people better than the rest of the contending political parties. What I would also like to observe is that the opposition was adamant that the election body in Botswana should deliver free, fair and transparent elections.

Succeed

They questioned every step that they considered a threat to a free and fair election process, even approaching the courts. Democracy can only succeed if democratic institutions are strong and can be trusted by the citizenry. The opposition deployed observers in every polling station to ensure the security of the vote. I hope opposition parties in the SADC region will learn from Botswana. I would like to applaud Dr Masisi, who displayed respect for the will of the people.  As soon as it was clear that his political party had been decimated at the polls, he conceded defeat and congratulated the incoming president.

For this gesture, Dr Masisi’s democratic credentials and his role in consolidating Botswana will be etched in history for years to come. It saddens me that in our neighbour, the Republic of Mozambique, the outcome of the elections has triggered violent protests as the opposition complained that the elections were rigged. When institutions such as the elections body and the courts are not trusted, it leads to mistrust and ultimately conflict. May the new Botswana president do his best to deliver, because democracy must change people’s lives.

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