Mutiparty or two-party democracy, which way Botswana?
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
It was a break with the single-party democracy model adopted by the majority of African countries who had gained their independence ahead of Botswana in 1966. One-party democracy, except to its proponents wasn’t democracy at all, but a dictatorship of the elite of the new government system introduced. In the background of the 24/10/14 shell shock election results which dizzied some, euphorically infected others, spread headaches to the rest, a new furrow is being ploughed of a two-party model. Am I right?
The single-party democracy advocates argued that the system was democratic, seen from the historical and cultural perspective. They postulated that the kgotla-inkundla administration was democratic in essence: People gathered in kgotla/inkundla under the aegis of kgosi/inkosi, listened to the reports, exchanged views, debated and took decisions based on majority opinion. What more did one need to demonstrate a democratic exercise?
It highlights the need to protect rights such as access to clean water, education, healthcare and freedom of expression.President Duma Boko, rightly honours past interventions from securing a dignified burial for Gaoberekwe Pitseng in the CKGR to promoting linguistic inclusion. Yet, they also expose a critical truth, that a nation cannot sustainably protect its people through ad hoc acts of compassion alone.It is time for both government and the...