BOTSWANA went to the polls on Wednesday to decide if the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), which has governed since independence from Britain in 1966, will continue its 58-year rule. President Mokgweetsi Masisi, seeking a final five-year term, faces increased opposition as the nation confronts high unemployment and a struggling diamond-dependent economy.
Masisi, 63, a former high school teacher who once worked for UNICEF, faces three challengers in his bid for re-election: Duma Boko of the Umbrella for Democratic Change, Dumelang Saleshando of the Botswana Congress Party, and Mephato Reatile from the Botswana Patriotic Front. The election will determine Botswana’s parliamentary makeup, with lawmakers selecting the president afterward.
Botswana has long been considered a stable democracy with one of Africa’s highest standards of living. However, a global downturn in diamond demand—the country’s economic backbone—has led to rising unemployment, currently at 27 percent, with an even higher rate among youth. The drop in diamond sales has strained Botswana’s economy, especially affecting revenue from Debswana, a state-owned partnership with De Beers. The company’s sales dropped nearly 50 percent in the first half of 2024, as global conflicts and the rise of synthetic diamonds impacted natural diamond markets.
BDP’s promises for diversification amid economic pressures
The BDP, under Masisi, has acknowledged the urgent need to diversify the economy, which relies heavily on diamonds, accounting for over 80 percent of exports and a quarter of GDP. In his campaign, Masisi pledged to shift focus toward developing agriculture, tourism, and processing mineral resources locally to reduce dependency on raw diamond exports. At his final campaign rally in Gaborone, Masisi, wearing the BDP’s signature red, declared, ‘The challenge of unemployment faces every leader. This is my final hurrah.’
But opposition voices argue that economic diversification has been a neglected promise for too long. ‘We need a leader to write a new script,’ said Elton Katlego Ditaol, a university student. ‘There is a visible need to diversify the economy; we cannot keep relying on mineral extraction.’
Just over a million people registered to vote in the country of 2.5 million, and counting started immediately after polls closed on Wednesday night. Analysts say that economic uncertainty has narrowed the gap between the BDP and opposition parties, casting doubt over the BDP’s longstanding dominance.
An election shadowed by political rivalry
Masisi’s re-election bid could also reignite tensions with former President Ian Khama. Khama, son of Botswana’s first president, left the BDP and went into exile in South Africa in 2021, accusing Masisi of authoritarianism. Charged in absentia for illegal firearm possession, Khama returned to Botswana recently to attend a court hearing and support the Botswana Patriotic Front’s efforts to unseat Masisi.
As Botswana waits for results, the election reflects a nation at a crossroads, seeking solutions to economic challenges that threaten to alter its future course. The BDP’s grip on power will be tested by an electorate demanding innovation and reform in a nation once lauded as a model for African governance and stability.
