The trust deficit bordering Masisi’s presidency :: Mmegi Online

In 2019 Batswana entered into a social contract with the fifth administration of Botswana, granting it legitimate leeway to form a government in the name of the people, for a tenure whose curtain closes this month. Along the way, public perception regarding the presidency has hit lows and highs, with leading factors being internal party disputes, corruption allegations and perceived authoritarian tendencies, Mmegi Staffer TIMOTHY LEWANIKA writes.

Recently, President Mokgweetsi Masisi launched an electric vehicle assembly plant that sparked a wildfire of insults and slander against the government from many online revellers mainly because of a prevailing trust deficit over manifesto promise. This was not the first time the citizens bashed the presidency over facts and truth, with a persisting thread of doubt over anything that comes from the highest office in the land.

Trust is a political value that serves as the bedrock of legitimacy. Voting a party into power requires the citizens to hold a certain degree of trust, which morphs into legitimacy. Masisi, who is the head of government and image of the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), must have the absolute trust of the people to stand a chance to get a ticket for a second term, without which his manifesto promises run the risk of being interpreted as electioneering gimmicks.