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.
On two separate accounts, the presidency caught the public eye when it claimed to be a shoeshine servant later veering to a different direction and claiming to have never uttered such words during the presidential debate in 2019. This was perhaps, the first seed of mistrust sowed that has slowly been growing over the years due to an array of factors. Masisi’s leadership has also been challenged by internal divisions within the ruling BDP, which has governed the country since independence in 1966. The most prominent rift occurred between Masisi and his predecessor, Ian Khama, who defected from the BDP in 2019, citing grievances with Masisi’s leadership style. Khama, who wielded considerable influence within the party, accused Masisi of betraying the party’s principles and consolidating power for personal gain.
The feud reached a peak when Khama endorsed the opposition in the 2019 General Election, a significant political event in a country where the BDP had long been dominant. The Khama-Masisi fallout not only exposed internal discord but also brought longstanding grievances to the fore, such as perceptions of factionalism, favouritism, and political infighting. This division weakened the BDP’s image as a unified force and left many Batswana questioning the direction in which the party, and by extension, the country, was headed.
The overarching effect of the rift has been that mistrust has been lingering in the political atmosphere with the first citizen often weary of those around him, a situation which has weakened his political image. Fallouts with Cabinet members such as Thapelo Matsheka, Edwin Dikoloti and some Members of Parliament have left internal wounds that can only serve to the detriment of the first citizen’s image. The handling of internal primary elections known as Dulela-Ditswe has also dented internal trust within the BDP with some members openly questioning the legitimacy of the internal election process. The main concern amongst dissatisfied party members is how the election process was managed, particularly the lack of transparency from the party’s Central Committee (CC) regarding the reasons behind vetting decisions and the outcomes of appeals. Many BDP primary election results appeals were rejected, except for one parliamentary appeal, which raised more eyebrows.
Economic challenges Economic discontent has further compounded Masisi’s lack of popularity. Although Botswana remains one of the wealthier African nations due to its diamond industry, lack of economic diversification has been a persistent issue. High unemployment, particularly amongst the youth, has been a growing problem, and many feel that Masisi’s administration has not done enough to address this. Promises of economic reforms and job creation have not materialised to the extent expected, leading to frustration.
From a total of around one million Batswana who are eligible and actively seeking employment, almost a quarter of them cannot find footing in the local labour market, which is bloated and has no room for new entrants. The figures are part of a larger trend, which depicts a decades-old sting that has been biting away the success story of Botswana’s diamond-dependent economy. According to figures from Statistics Botswana’s Quarterly Multi-Topic Survey on labour, unemployment has been in an upward motion, quarter on quarter. In 2019, the unemployment figure stood at just a little under 200, 000 but climbed up the ladder to the current 287, 000.
An economic pulse check also puts Masisi in the red as economic conditions have worsened with macros failing to make a full recovery. Renowned economist, Keith Jefferis, while delivering an economic update in Gaborone recently revealed that Botswana was entering an abyss moment macro-economically as troubled diamond market woes are expected to worsen, leading to a further slowing down of an economy that will most likely create more job cuts.
While the country avoided a technical recession by a whisker, other economists have pointed out that Botswana may be in a technical recession, with negative growth expected in both the first and second quarter of the year. Recessions by their nature thwart employment creation efforts and are even associated with job cuts as production rates fall in most industries.
“Unemployment has risen and we expect it to continue to rise given the problems in the broader economy, especially the slowdown associated with the diamond sector,” Jefferis said. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates that annually, 35, 000 graduates hit the job market in Botswana and creating jobs for these young men and women has, however, proved to be an uphill task for both the government and the private sector.
The gap between the expectations set by Masisi’s ambitious campaign rhetoric and the reality of limited progress has damaged his credibility. In a country where the government has traditionally played a significant role in providing economic opportunities, the perceived failure to deliver has heightened dissatisfaction.
It is clear that the rise of social media and an active civil society has made it easier for dissenting voices to organise and share their grievances. Batswana are increasingly using these platforms to express dissatisfaction with the government, and civil society groups have been more vocal in demanding accountability.