Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi said on November 1, 2024 he would "step aside" after his party suffered a resounding defeat in general elections, according to preliminary tallies. "I wish to congratulate the opposition on their victory and concede the election," Masisi told reporters at a press conference. (Photo by Monirul Bhuiyan / AFP)
You seldom hear honest self-assessment from a politician, so it was refreshing to hear the words of Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi yesterday as he accepted defeat in the country’s election.
“We got it wrong big time in the eyes of the people,” Masisi said.
“We were really convinced of our message. But every indication, by any measure, is that there’s no way that I can pretend that we’re going to form a government.”
He added: “I will respectfully step aside and participate in a smooth and transparent transition process ahead of inauguration.”
What made his words all that more impactful was the fact that he was acknowledging that his Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) – which had ruled the country since independence from Britain in 1966 – was unable to garner enough seats to govern.
In Africa, when a party has been in power for decades and gets a smack at the ballot box, it declares a result null and void, or rigs the counting and then cracks down hard on anyone who protests.
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Look at what is happening in Mozambique for confirmation of that.
Let us hope Masisi and his supporters honour his words and accept their demoted status with grace and in the interests of the country.
Given Botswana’s track record of reasonable political peace, social stability and a solid economy, we believe the transition will be without bloodshed.
The loss of the BDP’s massive whip hand majority echoes what happened in South Africa this year, when the ruling ANC garnered only 40% of the votes in the election and was forced to form a government of national unity.
The positive aspect of both stories is that peace has reigned, in-fighting in our GNU notwithstanding.
But politicians in both countries learned the hard way not to take the people for granted.
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