Voters queue outside a polling station in the capital Gaborone to cast their ballot during the general elections in Botswana.
AFP/Gaborone
Botswana’s ruling party faced an unprecedented test against an invigorated opposition as one of Africa’s most stable democracies voted in general elections yesterday.
Turnout was high as some 800,000 registered voters chose a new parliament – which then elects a president – in the diamond-rich, sparsely-populated nation bordering South Africa, the election commission said.
Polling stations were due to close at 7.30pm (1730 GMT), but a two-hour extension would be allowed to make up for early morning glitches in some areas, commission spokesman Osupile Maroba told AFP.
Counting of votes would begin immediately after the end of voting and final results are expected today, he said.
Observer missions from the regional South African Development Community (SADC), the Commonwealth and the European Union were expected to report on the vote after the polls closed.
“So far things have gone well, we are impressed with the progress, especially the conduct of voters at polling stations,” said a member of the SADC mission, speaking on condition of anonymity ahead of a formal declaration.
The election is billed as the most challenging for the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), led by President Ian Khama, which has governed the landlocked country since it gained independence from Britain in 1966.
Khama is battling to win over voters in urban areas, where opposition parties have made inroads since the formation of a breakaway party, the Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD), in 2010.
The 61-year-old son of the country’s first president, Seretse Khama, Ian Khama is also a traditional chief of the Bangwato clan and can count on strong rural support as he runs for a second term in office.
In Serowe, Khama’s hometown north of the capital Gaborone, women covered in blankets waited patiently outside polling stations.
“We won’t let our president down, that is why I am here so early. I am voting for our party here, the BDP of Khama,” said Amantle Ramasia, a 67-year-old resident of Serowe. “He is our chief, I know his family well and he is a great man for this country.”
Khama voted at a community hall in the town, accompanied by his younger brother Tshekedi Khama, the minister of environment, wildlife and tourism.
Women ululated as he stepped out of a white SUV. Khama did not stop to greet the elated supporters, jumped the long queue to pick up his ballot and left shortly afterwards.
The parched town, with many traditional thatched-roof households, has given the country three presidents – two Khamas as well as Festus Mogae.
Despite this illustrious history, the town is still steeped in poverty, with some roads winding between humble homes still unpaved.
And many younger people in the town of some 60,000 are less than sentimental about its political links.
“We need to look beyond the history and sentiments and ask ourselves what does all this history mean for us,” said college student Thuto Matswiri. “Personally it has little significance, considering our present circumstances as residents who live on so little.”
Tau Mongwase, an unemployed youth, complained that “change is slow, very slow”.
“I think the government is taking care of us but it’s not enough. We need jobs. The mines are not hiring us anymore. Things are very tough for young people here.”
With the global financial crisis leading to a drop in diamond revenues, Khama’s government halted planned investment, leading to growing unemployment and slow progress in diversifying the economy.
Fighting to topple Khama is Dumelang Saleshando, leader of the official opposition, the Botswana Congress Party (BCP).
According to an Afrobarometer report issued last week, the BCP – which has campaigned under the slogan “Ready to Lead” – is the fastest-growing party in the country.
Another major contender is Duma Boko of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), a coalition of parties including the breakaway BMD which will be contesting the elections for the first time.
Boko has accused Khama of an increasingly authoritarian approach, arguing the country needs a change in leader.
But few expect a change in this election.
