Accessibility links

Breaking News

Botswana Inaugurates President-Elect Duma Boko Following Historic Election


BOTSWANA-ELECTION
BOTSWANA-ELECTION

Botswana inaugurated opposition leader Duma Boko on Friday (November 8) following a historic election that kicked out former ruling Botswana Democratic Party by a landslide loss for the first time in 58 years.

The 54-year-old, of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) coalition, will replace President Mokgweetsi Masisi.

During his speech, Boko called for unity and pledged to lead Botswana to greater heights.

Analysts blamed mounting economic grievances, particularly among young people, for the downfall of the BDP, which has governed the southern African state of around 2.5 million people since independence from Britain in 1966.

Like many African countries, Botswana's economy has largely depended on the export of a single commodity - in its case, diamonds.

Unlike many, its leaders have largely resisted the urge to steal or squander their commodity windfall, instead spending it on health, education and social welfare. Botswana's GDP per capita was $7,250 in 2023 - compared with an average for sub-Saharan Africa of $4,800, World Bank data shows.

But a downturn in the global diamond market caused economic growth to plummet this year to a projected 1%, while unemployment rose to 28%.

(Production: Sisipho Skweyiya)

Forum

XS
SM
MD
LG