Ruling party should tread carefully on cadre deployment

The Monitor Editor | Wednesday September 30, 2026 06:00

But on the particularly sensitive question of cadre deployment, the BNF must tread very carefully.

The issue deserves robust debate, not ideological enthusiasm. Recent public comments from the BNF leadership are reassuring: the party has said that government positions should be based on merit and competence rather than party membership, and that it does not have a specific cadre-deployment policy.

That principle should remain firmly at the centre of whatever deliberations emerge from Selebi-Phikwe.

There is nothing inherently wrong with a governing party wanting people who understand and can implement its programme. Every administration needs officials who can translate policy into action.

But there is a crucial difference between appointing competent people who share a government's broad objectives and placing party loyalists in positions for which they may not possess the requisite skills. The latter can become a dangerous, slippery slope.

Botswana's public service is ultimately an instrument of the state, not the governing party. Its obligation is to serve Batswana regardless of political affiliation. Indeed, government has repeatedly recognised the importance of competence in delivering public services.

The Ministry for State President has acknowledged that shortages of qualified personnel in leadership and specialised positions can affect service delivery and create inefficiencies.

This is where cadre deployment could become particularly problematic. If political loyalty begins to outweigh qualifications, experience and performance, the consequences may not immediately be visible.

But over time, decision-making can weaken, institutional memory can be lost, projects can stall, and citizens can endure slower and poorer services.

Worse still, Botswana could find itself sidelining highly qualified Batswana simply because they are not members or supporters of the governing parties.

That would be a profound contradiction of economic liberation. What is the point of empowering citizens economically whilst shutting competent citizens out of public opportunities because of their political affiliations?

The BNF, therefore, has an opportunity to draw a clear line at its policy forum. If cadre development is to be discussed, it should be subjected to rigorous safeguards: competence, qualifications, experience, integrity, and measurable performance must remain non-negotiable.

The BNF's governing credentials will ultimately be judged not by how many comrades occupy public offices, but by whether those offices deliver. Economic liberation requires capable institutions. Political power must therefore strengthen, rather than politicise, the machinery that serves Batswana.