More than diamonds

After 58 years in power, the BDP loses the presidency of Botswana, which Duma Boko occupies

Botswana continues to show signs of being one of the most politically stable African countries. Despite the loss of democratic quality experienced over the last decade, in which it has gone from second to fifth place in the Mo Brahim Index, the transfer of power after the last elections has been exemplary, although the great defeat has been the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), the formation that has monopolized power since the country’s independence in 1966. The new president, Duma Boko, who has headed the list of the Umbrella coalition for Democratic Change (UDC), said at his inauguration that “I can only promise the people that I will do everything in my power. Where I fail or falter, I will seek your guidance.”

One of the areas in which he will have to roll up his sleeves will be the economy. The country is technically bankrupt, has accumulated its largest debt in history with the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, and the price of diamonds – the main national export – is falling. Everything suggests that some of his first measures will have to do with the gem sector and the presence of the president of the multinational De Beers, Al Cook, at Boko’s inauguration does not seem coincidental, especially after the previous The Government will try to renegotiate the agreement with the historic brand, one of the main companies in the sector, in 2023 (see MN 690, p. 12). In March of that year, the words of the previous president, Mokgweetsi Masisi, drew attention: “We are facing a giant, but we want what is ours. (…) If the conversations become difficult, we will say “no”». The refusal, of course, was to maintain a link that had spanned more than half a century between the country and the company. A year and a half later, and with a change in the presidency in between, De Beers has stated that “we will continue working with the Government of Botswana in support of shared interests.” Another avenue open to the new Executive is with another of the large companies, HB Antwerp, with which the previous Government sought an agreement for Botswana to become a shareholder in exchange for 65 million dollars. These issues will have to be addressed by the country amid a drop in demand for diamonds caused by the global economic slowdown and the proliferation of synthetic gems, similar in appearance and lower cost, which will further force the Government to look for ways to diversification of the economy. Boko has promised to achieve growth of up to 10% of GDP during his term.

Not just diamonds

Youth unemployment, the situation of retirees or health will also test the capabilities of the new Executive. Unemployment, which affects 28% of Botswana, is especially devastating in the case of young people, since almost half of them cannot find a place in the labor market. Faced with this challenge, the UDC program promised the creation of 500,000 jobs in the next five years – according to African Business, only 750,000 adults in the country have a job. Retirees, who receive a pension of 830 pulas (57.51 euros), will immediately see their monthly payment rise to 1,800 pulas (124.72 euros), according to Boko, who has advanced that another of his priority tasks will be universalization of public health. These electoral promises have served the outgoing president, Mokgweetsi Masisi, to give a dialectical pinch to his successor: «They promised the people a lot of money. Imagine that you are unemployed and they tell you that the economy is not doing well… And then you receive those promises. The digital newspaper Mmegi picked up the words of the former president, who also acknowledged that his campaign had not been as attractive as that of the UDC.

Added to these challenges is the feeling among Botswana that corruption permeates everything. Directly and indirectly, the last legislature serves as an example of how the lack of honesty of the rulers of the southern country has influenced both the recent elections and the social fracture. Former president Ian Khama resigned in 2018 under serious suspicions of corruption and opacity by his government, especially in land and mineral deals. His successor, Mokgweetsi Masisi, led an investigation to determine the whereabouts of $48 million that could have been laundered in South Africa. This process, which led to Khama’s self-imposed exile in South Africa and Eswatini – from which he returned a few weeks ago – also led to a schism in the State Security Forces, which were divided between supporters of both leaders. The persecution of Khama, supreme chief of the Bamangwato tribe, may have even had a direct impact on the vote, since this community is one of the BDP’s historic vote granaries.

Due to his obvious lack of experience in the Government, Boko can only make a declaration of intentions and some appointments, such as that of his vice president, Ndaba Gaolathe, who has also taken over Finance. He has said about him that “we know that he will not deceive you. “He will be honest, upright and sincere.”

A smaller executive

The rest of the Government, which will go from 24 to 18 ministries, is gradually becoming known, which has caused an intense debate in Botswana. After appointing those responsible for the first six portfolios – Vice President and Finance; Health; Child Welfare and Basic Education; Land and Agriculture; Youth and Gender, and Foreign Affairs – the president pointed out that he did it this way so that society had time to analyze and criticize the appointments, a vision not shared in the newspaper The Botswana Gazette, where they interpret that the measure hides an intense debate within the government coalition to satisfy all the parties that make up it with the appointments.

The work of the new Botswana foreign minister, Phenyo Butale, will also be reviewed closely, especially in relation to relations with its neighbors. Trade relations with South Africa will have to be reconsidered after the Masisi Government established restrictions on South African agricultural imports to protect the local market. As for Zimbabwe, the possibility of regularizing the thousands of Zimbabwean migrants working in the country is on the table.

The new tenant of the Gaborone presidential palace, a former law professor at the University of Botswana who has achieved the presidency on the third attempt, after failing in the 2014 and 2019 elections, must respond to these and other challenges. “May they dare to dream of a better tomorrow and let us walk towards it together,” he said in his inaugural speech. Now we have to wait for that future to arrive, because it is no longer in the campaign.