Botswana: Duma Boko becomes President Elect after 58 years of One-Party Rule.

By Jumoke Ogbe, Abuja Nigeria

The ruling party in Botswana, the BDP (Botswana Democratic Party) lost out in the latest election that was conducted in Botswana on October 30, 2024. The BDP has been the ruling party since Botswana gained independence in 1966.

The UDC (Umbrella for Democratic change) the opposition party cruised to victory by clinching majority of seats in the parliament and ensuring that their Presidential candidate Duma Boko becomes President elect.

The winning party campaigned on social change such as increasing the minimum wage and making social grant available to all.

The opposition party has already conceded the election and has opened the road for the newly elected majority to take on the responsibility of governing the country.

Also to blame for the collapse of the ruling party are mounting economic challenges most young people complained about. The general perception of the economy is that it has been on a downward spiral in the last couple of years. There are a lot of disgruntled young people who feel that the government of the day has deserted them and are looking for new blood to bring about the anticipated changes.

It is worthy to note that Botswana’s economy is largely based on the export of diamonds. It is one African country whose wealth has not been squandered by its rulers over the past six decades. Despite the restrain exhibited by the ruling party on Botswana’s reserves, there was still widespread dissatisfaction with the economic situation in the country. The general population wanted a change and a new way forward. It won’t be out of place to state that the development of the country has become stagnant, and the country needs a new course of action.

Most Botswanans are proud of the course that the country’s politics has taken. They believe that a peaceful change of power is an achievement for any African country given the upheavals and disturbances usually associated with the hand over of power in African countries.

Hopefully, this is a trend that has come to stay. All eyes are on Namibia whose election comes up on Wednesday November 11^th. It is hoped that there is a peaceful transfer of power from the ruling party to the opposition if they are successful in the upcoming election.