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Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70 percent of its territory being the Kalahari Desert. It is bordered by South Africa to the south and southeast, Namibia to the west and north, and Zimbabwe to the northeast. It is connected by the Kazungula Bridge to Zambia, across the world’s shortest border between two countries.
Politics of Botswana takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic republic, whereby the President of Botswana is both head of state and head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the Parliament of Botswana. In part because the party system has been dominated by the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), which has never lost power since the country gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1966, the Economist Intelligence Unit has rated Botswana as a "flawed democracy."
The economy of Botswana is currently one of the world's fastest growing economies, averaging about 5% per annum over the past decade. Growth in private sector employment averaged about 10% per annum during the first 30 years of the country's independence. After a period of stagnation at the turn of the 21st century, Botswana's economy registered strong levels of growth, with GDP growth exceeding 6-7% targets. Botswana has been praised by the African Development Bank for sustaining one of the world's longest economic booms. Economic growth since the late 1960s has been on par with some of Asia's largest economies. The government has consistently maintained budget surpluses and has extensive foreign-exchange reserves.
Gaborone is the capital and largest city of Botswana with a population of 246,325 based on the 2022 census, about 10% of the total population of Botswana. Its agglomeration is home to 421,907 inhabitants at the 2011 census.
The Pan-African Parliament (PAP), also known as the African Parliament, is the legislative body of the African Union. It held its inaugural session in March 2004. The Parliament exercises oversight, and has advisory and consultative powers, having lasting for the first five years. Initially the seat of the Pan-African Parliament was in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, but was later moved to Midrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. The goal in establishing the parliament was creating a space where people from all states of Africa could meet, deliberate, and pass some policy on issues that affect the entire continent of Africa.
The Botswana People's Party (BPP), originally the Bechuanaland People's Party, is a political party in Botswana formed in December 1960 during the colonial era. As a result of disappointment with the Legislative Council, under the leadership of Kgalemang T. Motsete, an accomplished music composer and educationist, BPP became the first mass party to agitate for full independence.
Sowa is a town which lies in the Central District of Botswana, but constitutes a separate administrative district. The Sowa Township was established in 1991 by an act of Parliament, Statutory Instrument No.26 of 1991 and governed by Sowa Township Regulations, 1991 under the Township Act. The population was of 2,879 inhabitants, according to 2001 Census, and had grown to 3,598 according to the 2011 census.
The National Assembly is the sole legislative body of Botswana's unicameral Parliament, of which consists of the President and the National Assembly. The House passes laws, provides ministers to form Cabinet, and supervises the work of government. It is also responsible for adopting the country's budgets. It is advised by the Ntlo ya Dikgosi, a council of tribal chiefs which is not a house of Parliament.
The Sahrawi National Council (SNC) or Sahrawi Parliament is the legislature of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. Its structure and competences are guided by the Constitution of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR). The present speaker since 2020 is Hamma Salama.
Matlapeng Ray Molomo was a politician in Botswana. Molomo was Speaker of the National Assembly of Botswana 1999–2004, and was a member of the Pan-African Parliament. Molomo attended the University of Ottawa. He has been a cabinet minister, Member of Parliament, permanent secretary, under secretary, educational planner, college principal, researcher, university lecturer, author and president of the Botswana Football Association. The story of his upbringing is no different from that of a typical Motswana boy of yester-year, who grew up among older boys at the cattle post looking after his father's cattle.
Shirley Itumeleng Tiny Segokgo is a politician from Botswana. She is a member of the National Assembly of Botswana and also a member of the women's caucus. Segokgo is also a member of the Pan-African Parliament.
Phandu Tombola Chaka Skelemani is a Motswana who is the current speaker of the National Assembly of Botswana. He served in the government of Botswana as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2008 to 2014. A member of the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), Skelemani is a Member of Parliament in the National Assembly of Botswana and a member of the Pan-African Parliament from Botswana, and he served as Attorney-General of Botswana from 1992 to 2003.
Nehemiah Mmoloki Moduble is a member of the Pan-African Parliament from Botswana.
Indians in Botswana do not form a very large population. As of 2016, an estimated 7,000-8,000 residents of Botswana are of Indian origin, of which 3,000-4,000 are citizens of Botswana. Most Indians are employed in the retail, manufacturing, teaching and accounting professions. Indian emigrants to Botswana primarily come from the states of Gujarat, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
The Sua Pan or Sowa Pan is a large natural topographic depression within the Makgadikgadi region of Botswana. It is located near the village of Sowa, whose name means salt in the language of the San. The Sua salt pan is one of three large pans within the Makgadikgadi, the other two being Nxai Pan and Nwetwe Pan.
Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi is the fifth and current President of Botswana, serving since 2018. He served as the 8th Vice President of Botswana from 12 November 2014 to 1 April 2018. He was a Member of Parliament in the National Assembly for the Moshupa-Manyana constituency from 2009 to 2018. Initially having a good relationship with former President Ian Khama, who appointed Masisi as Vice President, the two later clashed over a ban on elephant hunting, and Khama has since accused Masisi of having "stifled dissent". Coming to power in the 2019 elections, the opposition claimed irregularities and electoral fraud, however an observation mission from the African Union reported that the elections were conducted transparently and met international standards.
The African Parliamentary Union, formerly the Union of African Parliaments, is a continental interparliamentary organization first established in Abidjan on 13 February 1976. The Union aims to bring together the parliamentary institutions of all the nations of Africa, to encourage contacts among African and world parliamentarians, and to strengthen and promote democracy and peace. Forty parliaments are members of the APU.
India recognized Botswana shortly after the latter's independence in 1966, and opened an embassy in Gaborone in 1987. Botswana opened its embassy in New Delhi in 2006.
Dikgang Phillip Makgalemele is a Botswanan politician who formerly served as a member of the Pan-African Parliament as well as the Parliament of Botswana representing Shoshong. He additionally served as the Minister of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development under President Mokgweetsi Masisi. He is a member of the Botswana Democratic Party.
References
African Union. "List of members of the Pan-African Parliament" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 May 2011. Retrieved 5 October 2006.
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