Botswana is a landlocked country located in the south of the African continent and is bordered with four countries which are Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe and also has a tiny border with Zambia. The capital city, Gaborone, is located close to the border with South Africa. It was once a British Protectorate called Bechuanaland but later got its independence on 30th September 1966 and is a part of the Commonwealth of Nations.
Despite originally being a poor country, it transformed into one of Africa’s fastest growing economies and one of the highest GDP’s in Africa. Much of the Kalahari Desert covers Botswana’s territory and the country also hosts the Okavango Delta which is an attraction for tourists in National Parks and Safaris due to the wildlife.
The largest ethnic group are the Tswana and the country’s official languages are English and Setswana. The largest religion is Christianity and the country’s currency is the Botswana pula. The CIA World Factbook estimates Botswana’s population to be 2,317,233 by July 2020.
Government Type
The country is a Parliamentary Democratic Republic with an indirectly elected President as both Head of State and Head of Government and there is a representative parliamentary system with a unicameral parliament or single equal electable house that makes up the legislative government. Although there is a Unicameral Parliament there is an advisory body for the National Assembly called the House of Chiefs.
Multiple parties are allowed and so far, the Botswana Democratic Party has remained in power ever since independence. According to the CIA World Factbook there are at least 8 registered political parties and a coalition of various other registered political parties.
Executive Government
The executive government is led by the President as Head of Government and who has a number of executive powers at his disposal.
Such powers include appointing a Vice-President from members of the National Assembly which is then confirmed by the National Assembly. The President also appoints Ministers and Assistant Ministers of the government and cabinet of which handles governing policy and is subject to the President and Parliament, there can be no more than 6 Ministers and 3 Assistant Ministers unless parliament allows, these Ministers are appointed from members of the National Assembly. The President can also appoint currently 6 members to the National Assembly (who are confirmed through being co-opted). The President also appoints 5 members of the House of Chiefs, an advisory body of the National Assembly, these appointed members are co-opted by the other members.
The President can prorogue and dissolve parliament.
The President is the Commander-in-Chief of the country’s Armed Forces, able to designate operational use of forces, appoint armed force members, appointments on promotion of any office and dismiss armed forces members. He can also delegate these said powers to subordinates in the armed forces. Parliament can regulate these powers.
The President has powers to pardon, give respite, remit or give less severe punishment for crimes. These powers are known as the Prerogative of Mercy and there is an advisory commission on it that includes the Vice-President, Attorney General and a person qualified to practise in Botswana who is appointed by the President.
For the judiciary the President appoints the Chief Justices of the Court of Appeal and the High Court, the rest of the Judges are appointed by the President on advice from the Judicial Service Commision.
Of course, the President also gives assent to legislation passed by the National Assembly, he can choose to withhold assent where which it will return to the National Assembly, if they pass it again the President must give assent within 21 days or he can choose to dissolve parliament, leading to elections.
Legislative Government
The legislative government is made up of a single unicameral house called the National Assembly which currently has 65 members, the number of members can change by population number every 10-years after a census is performed. The members as it stands include 57 elected by the people, 6 appointed by the President and then co-opted by parliamentary members and a further two ex-officio members, the Attorney General and President. The Attorney General has no vote.
The National Assembly introduces, debates, amends and votes on legislation, the government can also introduce legislation itself. Parliament cannot introduce money bills.
The National Assembly is overlooked by the Speaker who can be elected from within its own members or even from people who are not a member of the National Assembly. The President, Vice-President, Ministers and Assistant Ministers cannot be Speaker. There is also a Deputy Speaker elected from among themselves. The Speaker is in charge of regulating debate, making sure parliamentary rules are followed and making parliamentary decisions.
There is also an advisory body to the National Assembly called the House of Chiefs, which can make it sound like a bicameral parliament, but this advisory body isn’t seen as a 2nd chamber of parliament and has very confined and limited power over the National Assembly. It includes 35 members.
The House of Chiefs has no legislative or veto power but is able to review laws that effect tribal organisation, property, customary law and the administration of customary courts before it goes to the National Assembly. When the country’s constitution is being reviewed or amended, the House of Chiefs members must be consulted. It can have other legislation referred to it which they can decide resolutions on that will be considered by the National Assembly.
The National Assembly can hold a confidence vote on the President, requiring a majority of members to remove him, Specially Elected members cannot vote in confidence votes, this confidence vote can only happen after the President is elected. Alternatively, the Parliament can just hold a no-confidence vote on government itself.
Changing or amending of the constitution also requires two successive assembly votes with the final vote requiring two-thirds, many constitutional changes also require a national confirmatory referendum to be held and also assent from the President.
Electoral System
Parliamentary elections are held every 5-years to elect 57 of the 65 members of the Unicameral National Assembly. These 57 members are elected from single-seat constituencies using the first-past-the-post system. 6 further members are appointed by the President who are then co-opted by the National Assemblies members, happening after Parliamentary elections and the election of President. The President is an ex-officio member themselves and the Attorney General, is also an ex-officio member but has no voting power, neither ex-officio members are part of a political party. The appointed members, also called Specially Elected members, are not a part of political parties but are still allied with the governing parties.
Candidates for the National Assembly must be a citizen of Botswana, be at least 18-years-old, is registered as a voter for National Assembly elections and be able to speak and read English well enough to take part in proceedings of the National Assembly, exceptions are made for reading English if due to blindness or other physical impairment.
The advisory body of the National Assembly, the House of Chiefs, have 35 members, 22 are indirectly elected by the Chiefs for 5-year terms. 8 other members are hereditary chiefs or kgosi from Botswana’s eight principle tribes and the final 5 are appointed by the president who are then co-opted by the other members. None of the House of Chief members can be a part of political parties.
Members of the House of Chiefs must be at least 21-years old, Botswana citizen, be proficient in English and must not have actively participated in politics for 5-years proceeding their election or appointment to the House of Chiefs.
The President has a 5-years term concurrent with the National Assembly and is elected by the National Assembly. A person can serve as President for the max of two terms (10 years). Candidates for National Assembly will nominate a politician for President and if a person who is endorsed has at least 50% of the endorsement of elected members then they will become President, if not then the National Assembly will vote to elect a President by simple majority. (On a personal note, I have concluded I don’t like this system for election of President).
The elected President will also serve as an ex-officio member of the National Assembly.
Those nominated for President must be a citizen of Botswana, be at least 30-years-old and be qualified to be elected as a member of the National Assembly (meaning they need to reach the requirements for a candidate of the National Assembly in addition to these other requirements for President).
Registering to vote in elections requires Botswana citizenship, be at least 18-years-old and to have lived continuously in Botswana for at least 12 months. Voting is not compulsory.
Sources
My sources were from the country’s own constitution, but if you are using this information in a serious capacity it is still important to cross-check and the constitution can change and there is the possibility I mis-interpreted some things.
Further I found information on appointed members to the National Assembly being raised from 4 to 6 here
I also got some of my information from the Botswana profile on the CIA World Factbook.
I also used Wikipedia to find some of the above references. Note: I only take information from Wikipedia that are fact-checked through hyperlinked references.
Next up will be Brazil!
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