President Masisi’s BDP wants five more years in power

Botswana’s governing social gathering – in energy for nearly six many years – is making an attempt to drag off a trick in Wednesday’s basic election by utilizing a phrase usually related to long-suffering opposition teams.

In its manifesto, the Botswana Democratic Occasion (BDP) is looking for “change”.

“Let’s change collectively and construct prosperity for all,” President Mokgweetsi Masisi – in command of the nation since 2018 – writes within the introduction.

It’s an acknowledgement that issues have to be performed in another way – the opposition argues that the president’s social gathering is just not ready to do this.

Although analysts say the result of the election is tough to foretell this time, the BDP has gained good-looking parliamentary majorities on the 11 elections since independence in 1966.

It subsequently secured the presidency each time as MPs elect the pinnacle of state.

The BDP has been credited with overseeing a peaceable and dramatic transformation of a poor nation, with just a few kilometres of tarred roads at independence, into a spot the place common residing requirements are among the many highest on the continent.

Underpinning this transformation has been Botswana’s large diamond reserves – measured by their worth, the nation is the world’s largest producer of the gemstone.

And but all is just not properly.

Botswana is going through huge financial challenges – therefore Masisi’s speak of change.

Multiple in 4 of the working inhabitants is unemployed, with a fair larger proportion amongst youthful individuals, in response to the World Financial institution.

Politics professor on the College of Botswana Zibani Maundeni described it as a “jobless financial system”.

“We’re producing graduates yearly and the financial system is just not producing sufficient jobs for them,” he instructed the BBC’s Africa Every day podcast.

As well as, Botswana’s wealth is just not evenly unfold round amongst its 2.3 million individuals.

By a measure often called the Gini index, researchers say it is among the most unequal international locations on this planet.

And the diamond business seems to be beneath strain globally as demand has been falling.

However Masisi and his social gathering proceed to challenge confidence.

At a marketing campaign rally in an opposition stronghold in central Botswana, the president arrived in model in an electrical automobile assembled within the nation.

Getting out, the 63-year-old former trainer danced in the direction of the stage greeting supporters in red-and-white social gathering colors.

Laughter rang by the group as Masisi’s humour and charisma electrified the viewers.

The realm – residence to the earlier President, Ian Khama – elected three opposition MPs in 2019.

This was after Khama defected from the BDP to assist type the Botswana Patriotic Entrance (BPF), saying he regretted selecting Masisi as his successor.

The dramatic fall-out between the 2 males led to Khama leaving the nation, accusing the federal government of making an attempt to poison him.

Khama was then charged with cash laundering, amongst different crimes, all of which he denies.

It additionally ended the political dominance of his household – his father, Sir Seretse Khama, was the nation’s first president and served for 14 years from 1966.

“I’m sorry, please come again residence and in addition name others over,” Masisi instructed the rally pleading to voters to return to the BDP.

Hair-salon proprietor, Thandiwe Potso, 32, appeared satisfied.

“Masisi actually understands our challenges and introduced higher programmes to fund our companies,” she instructed the BBC, her eyes shining with conviction.

Kabelo Selemo, 45, agreed.

“His insurance policies have helped us develop as you may see we now not import greens. I imagine in his imaginative and prescient for our future,” mentioned the small-business proprietor.

However in response to an opinion ballot, many others is probably not really easy to persuade.

Revered non-partisan polling organisation Afrobarometer launched a damming report earlier this yr.

It mentioned that regardless of the nation rating extremely in good governance on the continent, individuals in Botswana had a unfavorable view of the federal government believing there have been excessive ranges of corruption.

“Sturdy majorities categorical little or no belief within the incumbent and disapprove of the way in which he has carried out his job,” it mentioned.

BDP spokesperson Kagelelo Banks Kentse questioned the credibility of the ballot.

He argued that Afrobarometer had in earlier elections underestimated help for the BDP and thought it will be no totally different this time. Although the social gathering is just not taking something without any consideration.

“I might be very fallacious to say that we’re over-confident,” Kentse instructed the BBC.

“I at all times hear individuals saying: ‘That is the hardest election we’ve come throughout’, however we are saying that in each election yr. You by no means win earlier than the precise vote.”

He admitted that the unemployment price didn’t paint a superb image, however argued that each nation on the continent was experiencing comparable issues, including that his social gathering was pledging to create 300,000 extra jobs.

Kentse additionally touted the toughly negotiated deal that Masisi struck with diamond agency De Beers final yr for Botswana to learn extra from its pure assets.

Initially the state will get a 30% share of the tough diamonds mined within the nation, a rise on the 25% it received beforehand, rising to 50% inside 10 years.

However Dumelang Saleshando, chief of one of many largest opposition events, argued that the federal government has simply copied others’ concepts.

He mentioned his Botswana Congress Occasion (BCP) had first set a jobs goal, which the BDP had beforehand rejected saying it was higher to depart issues to the free market.

One of many slogans Saleshando is deploying is: “Save Botswana”.

“I feel individuals have seen the BDP for what it’s,” he instructed the BBC.

“It actually can’t argue that it’s an agent of change. Up to now it has at all times tried to say it’s about holding stability – extra of the identical – and out of panic they’re making an attempt to evangelise what they don’t imagine in.”

Supporters of one other opposition social gathering – the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), which received the second largest share of the vote in 2019, got here out of their numbers within the north of the capital, Gaborone.

Wearing blue-and-white T-shirts and solar hats, they cheered chief Duma Boko.

In contrast to Masisi, Boko usually remained severe, with the intention to emphasise how a lot the individuals had been struggling beneath the BDP.

He alleged that there have been makes an attempt to rig the ballot.

“I urge you all to be vigilant and after voting out the BDP you stay on the polling station to protect your vote,” he mentioned.

Thapelo Dimpe, a 45-year-old former trainer, has no doubts about why he desires to see the president’s social gathering defeated.

“Masisi has allow us to down on schooling reform. The UDC plans to put money into our colleges and empower our youth with the schooling they deserve,” he mentioned.

Though the federal government has a bunch of issues that would dent its help, opposition divisions may allow the BDP to remain in energy.

Each MP is elected on a first-past-the-post foundation, that means that to win a seat, the BDP solely wants the most important variety of votes in a constituency moderately than greater than 50%.

In a seat the place the UDC, BCP or BPF – or a variety of different events – are working, it may imply that the opposition vote is break up, permitting the BDP to get in.

“These events appear to have factionalism inside themselves, they hold taking inside points to the media – they don’t seem to be actually united,” political analyst Lesole Machacha instructed the BBC.

However he additionally identified that the BDP had its personal issues.

“The ruling social gathering is just not 100% intact – additionally it is having points. In some constituencies BDP politicians who weren’t proud of the first course of are working as unbiased candidates, which may divide that vote,” Mr Machacha mentioned.

All this makes for a intently fought and unpredictable election, he added.

For one in every of Africa’s most profitable political events, the query now could be whether or not sufficient individuals are satisfied that it might probably oversee the change that the nation wants.