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Democratic Governance in Botswana
2. The Context of Democratic Governance in Botswana
3. Democratic Governance in Botswana: Key Principles and Indicators
Since its independence from British colonial rule in 1996, Botswana has been practicing an open accountable and competitive multiparty democratic form of government. During the period under review, Botswana enjoyed an unparalleled degree of political stability. In contrast to other parts of Sub-Saharan Africa where military coups, civil wars and social unrest have been rife, Botswana has not experienced any military coup d'Etat or social unrest on a massive scale.
As a matter of fact, the Government of Botswana has maintained a relatively clean record in so far as violations of human rights are concerned. Civil liberties and the rule of law have been steadfastly upheld. Imprisonment of citizens for their political beliefs or systematic harassment of political opponents are virtually unknown. Free and fair elections have been held at regular five-year intervals since the Pre-Independence election of March 1965.
In each of these elections the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) has been returned to power with landslide victories. The exception thus far was the 1994 election in which the main opposition party, the Botswana National Front (BNF), achieved significant gains by increasing its Parliamentary seats from three to thirteen.
The performance of the BNF in 1994 underscores the point that election in Botswana are free, fair, and are competently administered. It should also be pointed out that whilst Botswana is not immune from corruption, this social cancer has not permeated the entire social fabric, but has been restricted to a few incidents. The Government of Botswana has demonstrated its commitment to combat corruption by establishing the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime.
An equally autonomous Office of the Ombudsman, designed to curb maladministration in the civil service, will become operational in the near future. Their is also consensus amongst scholars that Botswana is outstanding in creating and maintaining effective structures of financial control, including an independent audit.
Thus, whilst Botswana cannot claim to be a paragon virtue, these characteristics of its political system certainly qualify it as a good example of democratic governance in Africa. The key question to ask is: why has Botswana been relatively successful with regard to best practices of democratic governance?
In answering this complex question, we will isolate and comment briefly on the following key areas of the governance system in Botswana: the media, civil society, public service, the judiciary and their interface with democratic institutions and processes. Some of these processes have already been mentioned above in summary form. The presentation will be in three parts. The first part examines the political and cultural context of Botswana's democracy and its institutionalization over the years. This is followed by a consideration of Botswana's best practices in the four areas identified above. The final part in the conclusion. The presentation synthesizes the key issues raised in the body of the paper. Specifically it will look into the procedures and mechanisms by which Botswana seeks to consolidate and deepen its system of democratic governance.
2. THE CONTEXT OF DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE IN BOTSWANA
The Constitution of Botswana was finalized in January 1965 after several rounds of negotiations between the departing colonial government, Chiefs and representatives of all existing political parties. As such, it is a document which represents the collective will of the entire nation. It provides for, inter alia, a Bill of Rights, and independent judiciary, a National Assembly composed of an elected Parliament and a House of chiefs representing almost all ethnic groups in the country. The latter is a ceremonial body which advises the Government on matters pertaining to tribal administration, tradition and custom.
From the onset, the post-colonial political dispensation recognized the pivotal role that traditional institutions such Chieftainship and the Kgotla (traditional assembly) could play in democratic political order. The Kgotla has evolved into a consultative machinery through which Government policies are explained to the populace. It is also the mechanism through which the people can express their concerns and even reject policies initiated by the Government.
Public consultation is an important feature of our public administration. A good example of how the Kgotla acts as a relatively strong agent of restraint on the Government is shelving of the Southern Okavango Water Project which was rejected by the local community in a Kgotla meeting. The Project demonstrates how public involvement through the Kgotla can be positive for decision making by keeping the system accountable to the citizenry. The point being emphasized here is that the construction of Botswana's democratic political order has greatly benefited from the tradition of open discussion, tolerance of opposing views and regular consultation epitomized by the Kgotla.
There have also been regular consultation and exchange of views on major national issues between the Government and leaders of various opposition parties in the country including those parties which have not even won a single Parliamentary or Local Government seat in previous elections. This is done through the regular convening of an All-Party Conference which has become an established institution of dialogue on issues of national importance.
In that way, no political movement can claim to be left out in the cold on pertinent issues affecting the country. Besides, any concerned group has the right to request audience with national leaders at the highest level of Government. What these observations suggest is that democracy in Botswana has gradually been institutionalized. The norms, values and principles underpinning a democratic political order have been accepted and internalized by all significant political stakeholders.
None of the existing political parties in Botswana questions the legitimacy of regular elections as a method of choosing the government of the day. This democratic value system has been given institutional expression by the creation of popularly elected Parliament, District/Town Councils, Land Boards and an autonomous Office of the Supervisor of Elections.
Because we recognize the democracy is an unfinished journey, there will be a Referendum some time during this year to amend the country's Electoral Law. The main thrust behind our Electoral Reforms is to ensure that our electoral system is in line with prevailing democratic norms and practices around the world.
At the moment the voting age in Botswana is 21 years. If the electorate endorses what parliament has agreed on with a Majority Yes Vote, Botswana will permit those aged eighteen and above to vote in future general elections, make appropriate administrative arrangements to allow Botswana citizens residing outside the country to vote in elections and to limit the term of office of the President to a maximum of two terms.
These are some of the examples of how democracy is being nurtured in Botswana. The Government will also consider giving a license for a private radio station if and when there are organizations interested in setting up one. Such a development will certainly go a long way toward concretizing the idea of an independent mass media which effectively informs the public and acts as its watchdog.
3. DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE IN BOTSWANA: KEY PRINCIPLES AND INDICATORS
The Constitution of Botswana stresses the separation of the State from civil society which, as we shall see, is a fundamental prerequisite for any form of democracy. By guaranteeing citizens free political activity, freedom of speech, freedom of association, freedom of religion, etc. the Constitution has created the necessary climate for public opinion formation independently of the State. Consequently, there is a plurality of autonomous organizations in Botswana which constantly seek to influence public policy formulation in ways that are favorable to their interests. These include women's organizations, environmental groups and NGOs. The existence of an independent judiciary and a free press ensures that the State does not unduly interfere in the activities of civil society unless the common good is threatened by such activities.
Although civil society in Botswana is still weak in relation to the State, it has nevertheless been able to articulate a programme of restraint in the exercise of State power on various issues, such as women's rights. There are instances where civil social groups have put pressure on Government to change certain policies, for example, the Government has been forced to repeal the Citizenship Amendment Act of 1984 in order to allow Botswana women married to foreigners to pass their citizenship to their children. Therefore, the general weakness of civil society in terms of inadequate financial resources and poor organizational capacity does not necessarily mean that it is submissive. To the contrary, civil society is very vocal in Botswana.
Botswana has none of the most articulate mass media. In particular, private newspapers have frequently taken the Government to task on issues such as possible inefficiency, corruption and mismanagement in the public sector. They do so knowing that they have the protection of a genuinely independent judiciary.
Except for the Chief Justice and the judge President of the Appeal Court, both of whom are appointed by the State President directly, all judges and magistrates are appointed by the President on the recommendations of the Judicial Service Commission. Once appointed, they are expected to dispense justice without fear or favor. Indeed, the Government has often lost crucial cases in the Courts such as the one on Citizenship referred to earlier. Whenever it has lost a case the Government has never tried to go against or undermine the ruling of the Courts.
Botswana also has an autonomous and effective Public Service Commission. The basic function of the Commission is to ensure that public servants are fairly treated by their superiors in terms of promotions, transfers, suspensions or dismissals. Public servants in Botswana are recruited and retained on the basis of merit and merit alone. Appointments based on patronage are not tolerated. All public servants are duty bound to serve the Government of the day loyally. They are not allowed to participate in partisan politics. Thus, the concept of a politically neutral public service has been pursued with rigor.
This does not mean that public servants in Botswana do not hold political view. Obviously they do, but only as their personal private views which they cannot express openly. What it means is that such views should not in any way interfere with their duties. Furthermore, there are clear career paths for all categories of the public service. In addition, public servants in Botswana are reasonably paid. The key principle behind this is to minimize possibilities of public servants accepting bribes or moonlighting in order to augment their salaries.
In general, the governance system in Botswana has ensured that the public service enjoys operational autonomy. This applies with equal force to the Botswana Defense Force. The army, like the civil service, is subordinate to civil authority. As a result of these objective practices, Botswana has one of the most competent public services in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The public service in Botswana has adequate capacity and ability to formulate and execute national development goals within a reasonable time frame. Botswana has used its five-year development plans as signposts of gauging its development performance vis-avis its stated national development objectives. The results of that development effort have been relatively good. The country's economic growth rate has been impressive. The physical quality of the life of citizens has improved considerably. External debt is not a serious problem because it has been properly managed. Government budget deficits have been studiously avoided.
To further reinforce its commitment to effective performance, the Government of Botswana has set up a National Productivity Centre where intensive short-term programmes on various aspects of management are conducted for middle and upper-level public servants as well as member of the private sector and civil society. Relatively high productivity has ensured that quality service is provided to the people with minimal delay.
4. SUCCESS OF DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE IN BOTSWANA
There is consensus that Botswana is one of the most stable liberal democracies in Africa. Several interrelated factors account for this. The most important of them is what can be called mutuality of purpose and interests between the leadership and the general public.
At Independence, Botswana was so poor that some skeptics doubted its viability as a nation. To compound the problem, the country was surrounded by hostile minority regimes bent on the protection of which minority interests at all cost. This hostile socio-political and economic environment brought the people closer together. Survival as a nation became the rallying cry for unity. This unity and penchant desire to survive as a nation laid the firm foundation on which Botswana built its future.
Another and equally fundamental factor in the explanation of the emergence and sustenance of a democratic governance system in Botswana is sound economic management. The Government of Botswana has generally followed economic policies which promoted economic growth and sustainable development. Foremost amongst these has been macro-economic stability.
Equally important has been a commitment to work in partnership with the private sector rather than against it. Indeed, the mineral sector in Botswana is a good example of what such a partnership can deliver for small developing nations such as ours. In particular, mineral revenues, especially from the sale of diamonds, have been utilized for the common good of the general populace.
Botswana has always recognized that sustainable development, peace and democracy are interdependence and indivisible. Our national development objectives have always sought to improve the well-being of all our people.
We are alive to the fact that most of the conflicts ravaging the African continent have their root causes in poverty. We have identified poverty alleviation and eventual eradication an one of our key challenges. To that end, we have put in place the following poverty alleviation programmes.
(i) Arable Land Development Programme (ALDEP) which aims at providing the small-scale farmer with basic agricultural inputs to enable him/her to increase production.
(i) New Agricultural Development Policy (NADP) which aims at, inter alia, generating employment opportunities and raising incomes in rural areas in order to stem the tide of rural-urban migration. The programme also encourages people to be innovative and flexible in their approach towards breaking the poverty cycle.
(iii) Agricultural Extension (AE10) Small-Scale Programme which aims at creating productive activities related to agriculture such as horticulture, poultry raising and beekeeping by small groups consisting of low-income farmers and women heads of households.
(iv) Financial Assistance Policy which provides incentives to promote, encourage and support the active participation of Botswana entrepreneurs in productive income-generating ventures.
(v) Rural industries Innovation Centre which identifies, adapts and designs appropriate technologies geared to employment creations and also provides technical training in artisan skills.
In terms of social provision, we have achieved remarkable improvements. In the area of education, 90 percent of school-age population (1-13 years) were in school in 1993. There is almost 100 percent access from primary to junior secondary education. Literacy rate has increased from 34 per cent in 1981 to 69 per cent in 1993.
In the health sector, we have made commitment to provide for basic health services. Botswana has achieved significant reductions in mortality levels during the last two decades. The crude death rate fell from 13.7 per 1000 in 1971 to 11.5 in 1991 and is currently estimated to be below 10. Infant mortality rate dropped from 97.1 per 1000 lives births in 1971 to about 41 in 1996.
Consequently, life expectancy at birth rose from 56 years in 1971 to 66 years in 1996. Access to health service has been enhanced, with populations served being within 15 km of a health facility increasing to 85 per cent in 1991. Access to safe drinking water is at around 70 per cent.
If Botswana has been relatively successful on the economic and social fronts, it is due to the political stability that has prevailed since independence and prudent management of our resources.
This short presentation set out to offer a succinct analysis of Botswana's political system in a number of key indicators of democratic governance. It probed into the present condition and role of civil society in Botswana's evolving democracy. It showed that while civil society is weak in many respects, it has nonetheless played a constructive role in fostering a democratic culture of openness, tolerance and accountability.
The mass media and other organizations of civil society such as Botswana Human Rights Centre, the Democracy Project of the University of Botswana and Emang Basadi (Women Stand-up for your Rights), to mention but a few, have been effective in monitoring and putting the democratic process in check. That they were able to do so shows that the Government of Botswana has offered civil society the necessary political climate as provided for in the country's Constitution.
The presentation has also attempted to demonstrate that Botswana has effective State institution in the form of a truly independent judiciary, a competent civil service, and autonomous Office of the Auditor General which ensures that there is financial accountability in their system. The paper has shown how law enforcement agencies such as the army and the police are subordinate to elected civil authority.
Not much has been said in this presentation about the effectiveness of the Directorate of Corruption and Economic Crime. The simple reason is that this is a relatively new institution in Botswana's governance system. However, its relative infancy compared to other State institutions such as the Auditor General's Office should not obscure the fact that it is doing good work in the fight against corruption and economic crime. For example, several public officers have been convicted of corruption and/or economic crime through its efforts.
The presentation shows that their has been a firm political commitment to mold and incorporate, where possible, Botswana's traditional institutions and practices into a modern representative democracy. Botswana's secret to democratic practice could be that it has been relatively successful in institutionalizing its democracy by constructively using its traditional institutions and practices.
In the early years of Independence, some Chiefs resisted the political reforms that the Government introduced at local Government level. But through persuasion, they now accept that duly elected representatives are the ones who are finally accountable to the electorate. Of course, this does not mean that Chiefs have totally lost political influence amongst the tribesmen in their respective areas of jurisdiction. Indeed, some of them have often used their political influence to mobilize public opinion against Government policies and decisions. The example of the South Okavango Water Project cited earlier illustrates the point being emphasized here.
Lastly, I would like to emphasize that mechanisms and procedures are being put in place to further strengthen democratic institutions and processes in Botswana. One such mechanism that we hope will be in place before the next general election is an Independent Electoral Commission which will replace the existing Office of the Supervisor of Elections.
Another is the recently introduced law which requires Members of Parliament to declare their assets and their economic interests. The Government has also set up a Public Monitoring Unit within the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning to ensure that all public enterprises are run on an efficient, cost-effective basis. The Office of the Ombudsman has been created and a suitable candidate is being recruited.
We continue to refine and deepen our democracy. We are currently negotiating with the people on proposals to amend our constitution to:
. reduce the voting age from 21 years to 18;
. establish an Independent Electoral Commission;
. limit the terms of election to the Presidency to two five-year terms.
We recognize that democracy is an evolving process that must be reviewed to make it meet the demands of the times.
