The Government of Botswana has unveiled an ambitious plan to overhaul its social protection system, targeting a 40 percent reduction in the country’s annual social assistance expenditure, currently standing at P9 billion, by 2036. This effort aims not only to cut costs but also to broaden support and ensure that vulnerable populations are effectively reached. The initiative is part of a larger strategy to shift social protection from short-term relief toward fostering sustainable livelihoods, economic...

Dumelang Saleshando, Leader of the Opposition and Member of Parliament for Maun North, has intensified scrutiny of Botswana’s anti-corruption apparatus by outright rejecting a P25,375,960 budget proposal for the Ethics and Integrity Directorate. He contends that the institution falls short on transparency, a critical shortcoming that undermines public trust. Addressing the parliamentary budget debates, Saleshando reiterated that his opposition to the directorate is longstanding. He made clear that he did not endorse the body under...

Botswana’s political landscape is heating up as the country approaches the 2029 general elections, and amid this charged atmosphere, Lawrence Ookeditse, the embattled leader of the Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF), has made a defiant declaration that his political survival does not hinge on his party. This announcement challenges the growing speculation that internal party dynamics threaten to unseat him from the presidency and weaken his position for the upcoming electoral showdown. Ookeditse’s statement pierces through...

The Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF), a party born from a split with the long-dominant Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), is at a crossroads this week. After months of bitter infighting, a critical court ruling expected Tuesday could finally settle a leadership dispute that has fractured the party since its contentious Serowe Elective Congress in 2025. At stake is not just the control of the party, but its future direction and relevance in Botswana’s evolving political landscape....

As Botswana’s political arena gradually shifts its gaze toward the 2029 General Election, speculation about potential alliances among key parties has begun to ripple through political circles. Yet, the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) has categorically denied any discussions with the Botswana Congress Party (BCP) regarding electoral cooperation. Kentse Rammidi, Secretary General of the BDP, dismissed the rumors as baseless fabrications detached from reality. In an exclusive interview, Rammidi stated unequivocally, “The BDP has neither initiated...

The political landscape in Botswana is simmering with tension and debate as Johnson Motshwarakgole, a veteran unionist and outspoken critic of the current Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) government, launches a scathing indictment of the administration’s performance. Speaking at the launch of his new book, A Clarion Crying Voice: UDC Government Failures, Motshwarakgole did not mince words. He rejected the ongoing constitutional review process and vowed that manual workers would campaign vigorously for Batswana to...

Former President Ian Khama has publicly acknowledged an apology extended by members of the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) central committee along with segments of its broader general membership. This gesture marks a significant moment in what has been a long and tumultuous relationship between Khama and the party he once led. However, Khama drew a clear and firm boundary around a specific group within the party, those he directly accuses of orchestrating persecution against him,...

Former President Ian Khama has opened a new chapter in the protracted saga of the P100 billion “butterfly” scandal, announcing his intention to pursue a private prosecution against those he accuses of fabricating the explosive allegations that once rocked Botswana’s financial and political arenas. Khama, who serves as the Paramount Chief of the Bangwato and sits on the Ntlo ya Dikgosi advisory council, confirmed that he is preparing to take legal action against individuals he...