Gaborone final Friday performed host to the inauguration of President Duma Boko, Botswana’s newly-minted chief. Citizens started to trickle into the nationwide stadium as early as earlier than 6am. Invited friends included Namibia’s President Nangolo Mbumba and his counterparts Hakainde Hichilema of Zambia, and Zimbabwe’s Emmerson Mnangagwa. South Africa was represented by the deputy president, Paul Mashatile, and eSwatini by Prime Minister Russell Dlamini.
Boko’s predecessor, Mokgweetsi Masisi, was additionally on the ceremony. However, the shock title on the visitor checklist is neighbouring South Africa’s opposition chief Julius Malema. In 2011, Botswana slapped him with a visa ban for deriding the nation’s administration – then below President Khama – of being a “puppet regime” and threatened to oust Khama.
Boko’s path to the very best workplace within the land has been lengthy and circuitous. This was his third try on the high job. In 2019 he suffered a bruising defeat from Botswana Democratic Party (BDP’s) Anna Maria Mokgethi, for an MP’s seat, making him a single time period MP.
However, Boko received energy final week after his 12-year-old three-way coalition, the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), obtained 39% of the votes. His UDC comrade, Ndaba Gaolathe, was named Vice President. The Masisi-led BDP had 31%, down from 53% in 2019. While the BDP has prior to now polled lower than 50% of votes, that is the primary time that the social gathering has misplaced an election in almost 60 years.
Meanwhile, Conservatives label the UDC as populist, partly for its stance in direction of social democracy and opposition to neo-liberal insurance policies liable for sustaining poverty within the diamond-rich nation of almost 2.7 million folks.
In distinction, many locals really feel that Boko, a human rights lawyer is set to advance social justice.
While Botswana’s GDP per capita is Africa’s fifth highest – behind the likes of Mauritius and Gabon – unemployment has surged to 25% versus 15% in 2009.
The mainstream sentiment is that earlier administrations have accomplished little to uplift folks within the decrease rungs. This in flip has created a vicious circle of unemployment, which breeds poverty, and in flip stoke faculty drop-out charge and teenage being pregnant.
“People live in dire poverty,” says MT Lenong, an entrepreneur who has travelled to the inauguration ceremony from Mochudi, nearly 50km north-east of Gaborone.
The nation has ample sources, however has no will to finish poverty, argues Lenong, including that entrenched graft deprives the folks.
“The new administration’s top priority is to divert funds from government travel to social expenditure. Government must divert funds to basic service delivery urgently. We need water and road infrastructure.” Lenong mentioned. Upbeat that Boko “will improve our lives”.
He cites the president’s promise to spice up minimal wage and old-age grants in addition to combat graft.
“I hope he will focus on opening up the industry to local entrepreneurs so that we all benefit from it.”
Landlocked Botswana’s tourism business is large, including a hefty $20.35 billion or 12% to the nation’s economic system, in response to knowledge from the World Travel & Tourism Council. But locals say the tourism bonanza advantages is concentrated in a couple of fingers on the high-end of the meals chain.
Analysts and others have counseled Masisi for conceding gracefully.
International relations skilled Refilwe Kgabanyane was apt throughout a TV interview in Botswana. “Maybe [Donald] Trump could actually pick [a lesson or two] from how we conducted our elections, and how election results are to be accepted],” Kgabanyane mentioned, recalling the Capitol Hill saga.
By Shoks Mnisi Mzolo
