Democracy
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HRF classifies Botswana as democratic.
Botswana is a parliamentary republic and Africa’s longest-uninterrupted democracy. The head of state, Duma Boko, was democratically elected in the October 2024 presidential elections as the first opposition challenger to win the presidency after 58 years of uninterrupted rule by the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP).
National elections are mainly free, fair, and transparent. Political parties enjoy vibrant electoral competition with elections held every five years. The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) operates without interference from the executive.
Independent media, political leaders, civil society leaders, organizations, and regular people are largely free to openly criticize or challenge the government. However, the previous BDP administration of Mokgweetsi Masisi unfairly repressed dissenting protests, judicially harassed his political rival and predecessor, former President Ian Khama, and abused vague laws to silence journalists and government critics.
Institutions are largely independent and serve as effective checks on the government, consistently restraining attempts to repress criticism, undermine electoral competition, or weaken or dismantle accountability mechanisms. The government has not considerably undermined judicial independence.
National elections are largely free and fair. Major political parties compete in elections every five years. The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) operates independently of the executive.
The government does not unfairly bar any mainstream opposition party or candidate from competing in elections or significantly hinder the electoral campaign of a mainstream opposition party or candidate. Since its first pre-independence general election in 1965, Botswana has registered 13 free and fair general elections, which have been consistently held every five years. The Botswana Democratic Party, which led the country to independence in 1966, won twelve consecutive general elections, but the vote shares of the real, mainstream opposition parties have steadily increased over the same period, leading to the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) coalition’s victory in the October 2024 polls.
The government has not seriously undermined independent electoral oversight. The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) comprises a Chairperson and a Deputy Chairperson, appointed by the independent Judicial Service Commission (JSC), and five members recommended by the All Party Conference – a consultative forum for all registered political parties in the country.
In Botswana, independent media, political leaders, civil society leaders, organizations, and regular people are largely free to openly criticize or challenge the government. The media and civil society exhibit elements of vibrancy. While the previous administration at times repressed protests and censored speech, the current government has not.
The government has not seriously intimidated or obstructed the work of independent and dissenting media, political leaders, civil society leaders, organizations, or members of the general public. However, occasional concerns have been expressed under the previous government within media circles regarding certain constraints or pressures from the government. For example, in December 2023, the previous government, through the Directorate of Intelligence and Security, raided Mmegi, Botswana’s leading independent newspaper, confiscating phones, cameras, and computers.
The government has not seriously and unfairly repressed protests or gatherings. The previous BDP administration of Mokgweetsi Masisi unfairly repressed dissenting protests and abused vague laws, such as the Public Order Act and the penal code offenses of dissemination of alarming information and sedition to silence journalists and government critics. The BDP administration also launched a series of politically motivated criminal prosecutions against former president Ian Khama and his business associates after Khama quit the ruling BDP to form an opposition party. Khama, fearing arrest, fled into exile for three years, and the courts later dismissed the cases.
Institutions are largely independent and serve as effective checks on the government, consistently restraining attempts to repress criticism, undermine electoral competition, or weaken accountability mechanisms.
The courts in Botswana largely serve as a check on the government. However, sweeping constitutional powers enjoyed by the president give the executive ascendancy over the country’s top courts and judicial institutions, undermining institutional autonomy. The constitution gives the President the absolute power to appoint the Chief Justice of the High Court, who serves as the head of the judiciary, and the Judge President of the Court of Appeal. The President also appoints the other judges on the High Court and Court of Appeals based on the advice of the Judicial Service Commission. Five of the six members of the JSC are presidential appointees.
The judiciary largely checks the regime’s ability to repress criticism or retaliate against those who express open opposition to its most prominent, widely publicized policies. For example, in December 2021, the Court of Appeal affirmed gay rights by dismissing an appeal by the Masisi administration to strike down a High Court ruling that decriminalized same-sex sexual relations in Botswana. In November 2022, the Court of Appeal upheld High Court rulings rejecting applications by DIIS for search and seizure of firearms at the residences of former president Ian Khama as part of a politically motivated case against the former president. In June 2024, the Court of Appeal ruled that Directorate of Intelligence and Security (DIIS) agents acted unlawfully in May 2022 when they barricaded and sealed the offices of the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime and confiscated files on the investigations they were conducting.
HRF classifies Botswana as democratic.
Botswana is a parliamentary republic and Africa’s longest-uninterrupted democracy. The head of state, Duma Boko, was democratically elected in the October 2024 presidential elections as the first opposition challenger to win the presidency after 58 years of uninterrupted rule by the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP).
National elections are mainly free, fair, and transparent. Political parties enjoy vibrant electoral competition with elections held every five years. The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) operates without interference from the executive.
Independent media, political leaders, civil society leaders, organizations, and regular people are largely free to openly criticize or challenge the government. However, the previous BDP administration of Mokgweetsi Masisi unfairly repressed dissenting protests, judicially harassed his political rival and predecessor, former President Ian Khama, and abused vague laws to silence journalists and government critics.
Institutions are largely independent and serve as effective checks on the government, consistently restraining attempts to repress criticism, undermine electoral competition, or weaken or dismantle accountability mechanisms. The government has not considerably undermined judicial independence.
National elections are largely free and fair. Major political parties compete in elections every five years. The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) operates independently of the executive.
The government does not unfairly bar any mainstream opposition party or candidate from competing in elections or significantly hinder the electoral campaign of a mainstream opposition party or candidate. Since its first pre-independence general election in 1965, Botswana has registered 13 free and fair general elections, which have been consistently held every five years. The Botswana Democratic Party, which led the country to independence in 1966, won twelve consecutive general elections, but the vote shares of the real, mainstream opposition parties have steadily increased over the same period, leading to the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) coalition’s victory in the October 2024 polls.
The government has not seriously undermined independent electoral oversight. The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) comprises a Chairperson and a Deputy Chairperson, appointed by the independent Judicial Service Commission (JSC), and five members recommended by the All Party Conference – a consultative forum for all registered political parties in the country.
In Botswana, independent media, political leaders, civil society leaders, organizations, and regular people are largely free to openly criticize or challenge the government. The media and civil society exhibit elements of vibrancy. While the previous administration at times repressed protests and censored speech, the current government has not.
The government has not seriously intimidated or obstructed the work of independent and dissenting media, political leaders, civil society leaders, organizations, or members of the general public. However, occasional concerns have been expressed under the previous government within media circles regarding certain constraints or pressures from the government. For example, in December 2023, the previous government, through the Directorate of Intelligence and Security, raided Mmegi, Botswana’s leading independent newspaper, confiscating phones, cameras, and computers.
The government has not seriously and unfairly repressed protests or gatherings. The previous BDP administration of Mokgweetsi Masisi unfairly repressed dissenting protests and abused vague laws, such as the Public Order Act and the penal code offenses of dissemination of alarming information and sedition to silence journalists and government critics. The BDP administration also launched a series of politically motivated criminal prosecutions against former president Ian Khama and his business associates after Khama quit the ruling BDP to form an opposition party. Khama, fearing arrest, fled into exile for three years, and the courts later dismissed the cases.
Institutions are largely independent and serve as effective checks on the government, consistently restraining attempts to repress criticism, undermine electoral competition, or weaken accountability mechanisms.
The courts in Botswana largely serve as a check on the government. However, sweeping constitutional powers enjoyed by the president give the executive ascendancy over the country’s top courts and judicial institutions, undermining institutional autonomy. The constitution gives the President the absolute power to appoint the Chief Justice of the High Court, who serves as the head of the judiciary, and the Judge President of the Court of Appeal. The President also appoints the other judges on the High Court and Court of Appeals based on the advice of the Judicial Service Commission. Five of the six members of the JSC are presidential appointees.
The judiciary largely checks the regime’s ability to repress criticism or retaliate against those who express open opposition to its most prominent, widely publicized policies. For example, in December 2021, the Court of Appeal affirmed gay rights by dismissing an appeal by the Masisi administration to strike down a High Court ruling that decriminalized same-sex sexual relations in Botswana. In November 2022, the Court of Appeal upheld High Court rulings rejecting applications by DIIS for search and seizure of firearms at the residences of former president Ian Khama as part of a politically motivated case against the former president. In June 2024, the Court of Appeal ruled that Directorate of Intelligence and Security (DIIS) agents acted unlawfully in May 2022 when they barricaded and sealed the offices of the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime and confiscated files on the investigations they were conducting.
