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IDASA’S DEMOCRACY INDEX THE INDEX 100 QUESTIONS CONTEXTUALISING BOTSWANA’S DEMOCRACY SECTION 1: PARTICIPATION AND DEMOCRACY Though hailed as one of the oldest democracies in Africa, Botswana still needs to strengthen its democratic dispensation, specifically to ensure that it has an active citizenry. Education and engagement in political life are two ways in which that can be achieved. In this volume, Moatlhaping and Moletsane assess participation in terms of nationhood, participation and involvement, government legitimacy, citizenship obligations and duties, as well as tolerance. They observe that nationhood is challenged by the growing gap between citizens and the institutions that affect them, such as local and central government. Another challenge is with regard to non-Tswana-speakers, who feel the burden of being expected to assimilate into ‘Tswanadom’, something they fear may erode their ethnic identities. The authors also argue that Batswana are generally a tolerant nation: there have been no reported cases of xenophobia or discrimination against people because of their race or gender. However, the government is accused of intolerance towards sexual minorities, including its refusal to provide condoms in prisons, and its failure to give expatriate prisoners access to antiretrovirals. This section emphasises the need to strengthen existing oversight institutions. THE INDEX: 100 QUESTIONS CONTEXTUALISING BOTSWANA'S DEMOCRACY 15 SECTION 2: ELECTIONS AND DEMOCRACY Gaontebale Mokgosi points out the connection between elections and democracy. He notes that although Botswana holds regular, free elections, it is equally important to ensure a fair electoral system. To this end, he raises several concerns with regard to the electoral process: the credibility and integrity of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), the lack of public funding of political parties, and floor-crossing. Mokgosi raises concern about the FPTP system , which, he claims, distorts the true picture of each party’s popular support and does not allow for effective political representation. FPTP is derided by opposition parties as unfair and potentially undemocratic. Minorities are less likely to be elected under FPTP . Disabled persons and prisoners serving jail terms longer than six years are rarely given the chance to cast their vote. Mokgosi attributes the frequent political party splits to the lack of democracy within parties. On the other hand, the IEC is recognised for performing well in voter education , as many citizens have registered and voted in recent general elections. He notes that the IEC needs to address issues such as multiple voter registration and voter trafficking. SECTION 3: ACCOUNTABILITY AND DEMOCRACY Dr Botlhale argues that accountability (political and administrative) is a key tenet of democracy and necessary for good governance. Accountability cannot be discussed outside the concept of separation of powers among the executive, the judiciary and the legislature. While the Westminster system has worked well for Botswana so far, it gives the executive too many powers. Botlhale’s concern is that the absence of structures enabling the legislature to call the executive to account limits the freedom of parliament. He argues that it is not enough that Members of Parliament only call the Cabinet to account during parliamentary question time. He notes that although the legislature can call the executive to account, this is a difficult and rare occurrence. Similarly, the devolution of powers to councils for easier management of public resources is only symbolic as they depend on central government funding, which limits them. With regard to public or administrative accountability, Botlhale argues that, although mechanisms for public consultation exist in the country, consultation as it is traditionally done through the dikgotla is marred by low attendance. However, the government has of late introduced dipitso, where stakeholders meet to contribute to policy and decision-making. It remains to be seen whether dipitso will prove effective or not. SECTION 4: POLITICAL FREEDOMS AND DEMOCRACY Thapelo Ndlovu argues that the dominance of the BDP has contributed to Botswana’s political stability. He nevertheless notes that the BDP’s competitive advantage is largely due to it enjoying preferential access to State media over the years. Ndlovu also acknowledges that the print media (both State and private) enjoy ease of registration and independence. However, he notes that although the Constitution of Botswana provides for the protection of civil and political freedoms, the extent to which people are able to protect themselves against discriminatory treatment by the State is limited. He notes the neglect of indigenous languages and cultures, giving the example of the appointment of members of the Ntlo ya Dikgosi (House of Chiefs). Several legal instruments and the absence of transparency are [18...

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