SA voter apathy, a lesson for Botswana

Mmegi Editor | Monday November 15, 2021 05:31

This was after that country’s apex court ordered the polls to go ahead after rejecting the Electoral Commission’s application to have them postponed due to COVID-19. As a result, what followed was voter apathy, which is an indictment on political parties especially the ruling African National Congress (ANC). According to South Africa’s Electoral Commission, 26.2 million people registered to vote but only 12.3 million cast their votes which translates to a voter turnout of 45.86%.

The figure is worse than the 57% of national voter turnout recorded during the local government polls in 2016. Although the situation happened in South Africa, it is a warning and wake up call to Botswana, which is on the verge of conducting local government by-elections to fill vacancies that exist in 11 wards across the country. At any moment, the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Eric Molale could issue a writ of election authorising the by-elections to be held following the end of State of Emergency in September, which prohibited the holding of elections. South Africa and Botswana share more than a border but also have historical ties that can be traced back to the Apartheid era. The two’s political environments are almost similar and hence ideal to compare.

During the municipal elections, South Africans’ message was loud and clear: ‘We are fed up with empty promises by politicians and poor service delivery’. What happened in South Africa is a warning that low voter turnout could be inevitable in Botswana. Just like in Botswana, service delivery remains a big challenge which if not addressed could see more people boycotting elections. Botswana youth are fed up with promises that politicians make when canvassing for votes, but forget them when in power. This is for both the ruling and opposition politicians who may differ on a number of issues but always agree with each other when it is time for them to get salary hikes.

Many Batswana still do not have access to clean drinking water while intermittent power cuts are affecting small businesses and households alike. Allocation of land, both for residential and agricultural, is slow and tedious. On the other hand, those in authority pay lip service to corruption which affects delivery of projects in the health and education sectors. All these concerns, if continuously ignored, are a recipe for voter apathy.

If these are not addressed, Botswana should brace itself for low voter turnout in upcoming local government by-elections and ultimately general polls in 2024. Despite all these, it is never late as politicians can restore confidence in Botswana’s electoral process through voter education that can assist restore democracy. Low voter turnout dents the credibility of any democracy as fewer voters cannot be representative of every Motswana. Parties can put their political differences aside and teach eligible voters, especially the youth, that staying away from polling stations will not improve service delivery.

“Do the unexpected. Take 20 minutes out of your day, do what young people all over the world are dying to do: vote.”

– Rick Mercer