Challenges of constitutional reform, economic transformation and Covid-19 in Botswana

SUMMARY

Botswana’s much-lauded economic boom was accompanied by a disproportionately powerful presidency, poverty, significant economic inequities, elite corruption and rising unemployment. Mokgweetsi Masisi succeeded Ian Khama as president of the long-ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) in 2018. He won the 2019 election on a platform of constitutional reform and economic transformation, but the rift between Masisi and Khama appeared to dissuade Masisi from pursuing the much-touted constitutional reform. Masisi needed the ‘blank cheque constitution’ to deploy the state apparatus in his personal war of attrition with the fearsome Khama. During the Covid-19 outbreak, however, civil society put pressure on Masisi to go beyond idle customary rhetoric and make a commitment to constitutional reform.

KEYWORDS:

• Botswana
• constitutional reform
• economic inequality
• unemployment
• transformation
• Covid-19

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the ROAPE editorial team and the anonymous reviewers of the paper.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1 Data for corresponding dates obtained from Bank of Botswana Foreign Reserves database at https://www.bankofbotswana.bw/content/foreign-reserves.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Christian John Makgala

Christian John Makgala is Professor of History and Political Economy at the University of Botswana.

Ikanyeng Stonto Malila

Ikanyeng S. Malila is Senior Lecturer in Sociology, Criminology & Criminal Justice Studies at the University of Botswana.