In a statement this week, Botswana National Front (BNF) secretary-general Ketlhalefile Motshegwa criticised the Commission’s benchmarking mission to the Zimbabwe Election Commission (ZEC). The, which IEC is a body responsible for the conducting and supervising elections, is scheduled to conduct Botswana’s general election in October. Motshegwa said the IEC’s mission is a sign that Botswana and Zimbabwe electoral management bodies are 'birds of the same feather'. He stated that IEC’s visit to Zimbabwe was just to learn how to 'rig elections'. The veteran unionist said they found the benchmarking to Zimbabwe, “shocking, coming at the time when the IEC itself is struggling to regain lost credibility to conduct transparent, free and fair elections in Botswana after rigging 2019 elections and how secretive registration for 2024 elections.”
Motshegwa accused the ZEC of being notorious for massive electoral fraud that has thrown our Zimbabwe into political and economic turmoil. “ZEC has presided over elections that lacked credibility, preceded by political violent and killings, harassment and detention of journalists, and marred by a process falling short of transparency and fairness,” he opined. Motshegwa said they found the whole process suspicious especially, “cosy personal relations” between President Mokgweetsi Masisi and his counterpart Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa. He added that the Presidents failed to explain to journalists what kind of notes they are exchanging in an effort to enhance their democracies through electoral reforms to deliver free and fair elections. The BNF secretary general said Masisi and his Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) must be warned against his authoritarian tendencies and desperation to cling to power through undemocratic means of election rigging.
