During the 1980s and 1990s, Botswana received accolades from many scholars and international organizations for being one of the most democratic countries in African. Our elections were usually declared free and fair and transparency was regarded as one of the essential characteristic of our democratic system.
Peace and tranquility were presented as some of the things that make Botswana a unique country in a continent characterized by tribal and political conflicts, flagrant disregard for fundamental human rights and freedoms, the disappearance of political opponents, the muzzling of press, high rates of corruption, high unemployment rates, abject poverty etc.
We were viewed as a shining example of democracy in Africa and countries in the developing world were implored to emulate us. People from other countries envied the way we managed to preserve and nurture a democratic culture within our borders where each citizen could comment on any national issue without fear or favour.
Ours was a free society premised heavily on the Setswana saying that “mmualebe o bua la gagwe gore mona lentle a letswe.” Constructive criticism was tolerated and members of the opposition parties could freely ridicule and dismiss with contempt policies and programmes presented by the ruling party.
On the economic front, our political leaders were praised for formulating and implementing policies geared towards ensuring that all citizens had access to basic social amenities in the form of potable water, education, health services, sanitation and others. Due to the economic success that we attained during the past three decades, our country was viewed as an economic miracle in Africa.
The rate of corruption as compared to other countries within the continent has always been deemed to be low. The difference between Botswana and other countries, one may argue, is that corruption has never been institutionalized even though nowadays some politicians seem not to care about the manner in which their companies are awarded lucrative tenders and contracts from the ministries that they lead.
They simply do not understand why people make noise about the manner in which they conduct public business because, in their view, they are clean and transparent.
The rosy picture that has always been painted about our economic and political performance as shown above seems to be slowly changing. We are regressing while other countries are progressing. And this can be attributed to two factors: changes in the political landscape of countries within the region and our failure to take necessary steps to improve our democratic system.
The attainment of independence in Namibia, the end of armed conflict in Angola and Mozambique, the introduction of multi-party democracy in Zambia and Malawi as well as the establishment of a democratic society in South Africa basically means that we can no longer be viewed as a leader in terms of democracy in Southern Africa. We have been relegated to the position of just another democratic country in the region because there is nothing special about us.
It is imperative for all of us to realize that democracy is an expensive and ever evolving system of governance which requires all politicians and citizens to be proactive and progressive. Being proactive and progressive means that we need to have visionary men and women who can lead us as we embark on a journey into the future.
They should come up with a clear plan of where we want to go and how we intend to reach our destination. They should think of ways and means through which we can shape the future of our nation, not only for our benefit but also for the benefit of all the generations that will come after us.
They should think of the different scenarios that we may find ourselves in and how we can overcome some of the obstacles that we are likely to encounter.
In other words, they should simply act before disaster strikes.
It is in view of the foregoing that I strongly believe that we need to look at our constitution and other legal instruments carefully with a view to identifying provisions which are outdated and which compromise the quality of our democracy.
We need to repeal provisions in the constitution and the Local Government Act/Township Act which provide for the special election of MPs and nomination of councilors respectively. The system is irrelevant and no longer adds any value to current democratic dispensation.
We all know that it has always been used to reverse the gains made by opposition parties rather than to appoint people with special skills that can enhance the performance of parliament and councils.
And lately, the provisions have been used to consolidate the position of the A-Team faction of the BDP both at local and national level. Mind you, this is done at a huge financial cost to the tax payers.
The rejection of a motion tabled by the MP for Gaborone Central, Dumelang Shaleshando aimed at amending the Local Government Act to do away with the system of nominated councilors is a sign of how anti-progress some of our politicians are.
It is very unfortunate that such a noble motion, tabled by a progressive politician, could be rejected not necessarily on merit but on the basis of the belief that the proposed change can spell disaster for certain members of a particular faction within the ruling party. Inasmuch as MPs are expected to support the policies of their parties, one also expects them to think like rational human beings and have the interests of the nation at heart.
In mature democracies such as the US, members of a political party can publicly oppose a position taken by their leaders if they strongly believe that it is not in the best interest of the nation.
They are allowed to table motions seeking to change the manner in which things are done for as long as the intention is to promote and protect the interests of the citizens as well as improve the democratic system in place. What is so difficult about our political leaders doing the same?
It is high time that they should be reminded that gone are the days when Botswana will continue to be viewed as a shining example of democracy in the region simply by periodically holding free and fair elections. Hence, it is of paramount importance that they should start thinking outside the box and be progressive for our democracy to be enhanced.
They should change their mindset and learn to debate national issues with the seriousness that they deserve rather than reject credible motions simply because they are tabled by members of the opposition parties.
What they are doing amounts to a disservice to the nation and history will judge them harshly.
*Dr Mothusi is a Lecturer of Political & Administration Studies at the University of Botswana
