The Party That Lost Its Way: A Retrospective on BDP Leadership

In 1966, a new republic was born. While it showed no signs of hope for the British imperialists, it meant a lot to its people. The new republic was placed in the hands of its father, Sir Seretse Khama, and the rest was history. The discovery of diamonds, improvements in agriculture, and the establishment of the first university in the republic followed. However, while there is undeniable beauty in all that was achieved and how the country grew, did the reputation of the BDP under its founding father blind Batswana to the incompetence that would follow when the baton was passed to different hands? Today, we discuss the failures of the BDP under Festus Mogae, Ian Khama, and Mokgweetsi Masisi, in an effort to establish what exactly went wrong.

How Golden Was the Mogae Era? Is It Fair to Define It Only by Its Successes While Overlooking the Failures?

Any Motswana would dispute that the successes of His Excellency Dr. Festus Mogae are among the most impressive tenures in Botswana’s presidential history. He is known as the man who transformed Botswana into a growing economy with stymied inflation, attracted international investment, and even earned the second Ibrahim Prize for his role in maintaining and consolidating Botswana’s stability and prosperity. He is also credited with leading the fight against the HIV pandemic, which was no longer seen as a death sentence under his leadership.

However, with much praise comes less scrutiny, and it would be unfair to overlook the shortcomings that turned into national failures in the long run. First, there was his failure to engage women in the growth of Botswana’s economic sector. He also advocated for foreign investment, which, in turn, created a monopolistic system where foreigners displaced indigenous citizens from jobs. Additionally, Mogae maintained and actively applauded the use of capital punishment, granting the government the unfortunate right to sanction the life of an individual. In an effort to take away factions within the BDP by introducing Ian Khama to the political sphere, his decision ultimately gave us one of the most questionable tenures in Botswana’s presidential history. This leads us to wonder: was our “superman” just a man, and could the affiliation our country had with the BDP be the reason we overlooked these failures?

The Prodigal Son or the Boy Who Never Turned Out to Be His Father? What Did the BDP Really Achieve Under the Ian Khama Tenure?

Lieutenant General Dr. Seretse Khama Ian Khama was one of the most hopeful candidates for the presidency. As the son of the founding father of the nation, expectations were high. However, what followed was a complete contrast to those expectations. There are so many failures under his tenure that writing a book wouldn’t be enough to cover them. Among the most significant failures was the 2011 teachers’ strike. Instead of increasing teachers’ salaries, which barely allowed them to survive and feed their families, he amended the law to make it illegal for teachers to strike, blatantly undermining the democracy he was set to represent.

Furthermore, Khama faced scrutiny for unnecessary military expenditure, including the purchase of fighter jets, tanks, and armed vehicles, while leading a state with no history of war. He also failed to capitalize on the mining sector, leading to the closure of the Morupule mine and leaving many families without jobs. Under Khama, the unemployment rate also rose, which led to a higher crime rate in the country, increasing from 27% before his tenure to 54% after his tenure. Above all, the mysterious deaths of those who opposed him—such as Louis Goodwill Nchindo, John Kalafatis, and Gomolemo Motswaledi—raised serious questions. Yet, despite these failures, the BDP still saw another term at the high table.

The Servant Turned Master: Mokgweetsi Masisi’s Failures

A child of a former minister and a former vice president himself, Mokgweetsi Masisi was initially agreeable under Khama’s rule but became combative after his departure. While we can excuse the effects of the unexpected COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 that stifled his political abilities, let’s look at what followed his presidency after winning the 2019 elections. Just a year into his presidency, former Minister of International Affairs and Cooperation Unity Dow resigned from her position, followed by former Minister of Labour, Productivity, and Skills Development & party secretary-general Mpho Balopi after a fallout with the president. Former Minister of Infrastructure and Housing Development, Dr. Thapelo Matsheka, was also later dropped from the Cabinet by Masisi due to alleged personal tensions. So, already, Masisi was sailing a sinking ship.

The economic failures followed. The DeBeers deal, which had initially gleamed hope for the mining sector, ultimately led to the mining group losing interest in trade with Botswana to the point where they looked to Angola for a new market. There were also failed trade bans implemented against South Africa, despite Botswana having no proper means of production. The unnecessary battle between Masisi and Khama led to the exile of the tribal chief. Additionally, the suspicious death of former leader of the D.I.S Isaac Kgosi raised even more questions. By the end of his tenure, the economic and political state of Botswana was in shambles, if not worse than before he became president. Looking at the fact that Botswana was on the brink of a recession by the time he left his seat, it is clear that his presidency failed to bring the hoped-for change.

What Went Wrong?

To answer the question of what went wrong, the people lost hope because failure became second nature in the BDP. Problems that started in the early 2000s still had not been solved by 2024. After 58 years of rule, Botswana still faced more questions than answers. The BDP’s leadership, under Festus Mogae, Ian Khama, and Mokgweetsi Masisi, failed to deliver the promises made to the people, and the nation has suffered as a result. Despite early successes, the legacy of incompetence and unfulfilled promises tarnished the BDP’s reputation and left the country in a state of political and economic uncertainty.