A national forensic audit released this week has laid bare a troubling collapse in Botswana’s anti-corruption defenses, pointing directly to weak oversight and ineffective enforcement as the root causes behind entrenched institutional corruption. The report singles out three key agencies, the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crimes (DCEC), the Ethics and Integrity Directorate (EID), and the Directorate of Intelligence and Security (DIS), as the very institutions that should have been the nation’s frontline shield against...

The World Bank Group has issued a stark and urgent warning that the ongoing conflict in the Middle East is triggering one of the most significant shocks to global commodity markets in recent memory. This turmoil is not just a regional issue; its ripple effects are being felt worldwide, particularly in emerging markets like Botswana. Prices for essential commodities such as energy, fertilizers, and metals are soaring, driven by supply disruptions and geopolitical uncertainty. These...

In a striking judgment that challenges a common legal assumption in Botswana, High Court Judge Dr. Zeinub Kebonang took a firm stand against the widespread notion that alcohol consumption automatically softens criminal responsibility. His ruling, which sentenced Tapologo Makwatse to death for the 2015 murder of his girlfriend, Dipuo Ramalepa, rejects the idea that intoxication can serve as a defense without clear scientific or expert support. Judge Kebonang was explicit in dismissing the accused’s claims...

Biggie Ganda Butale, former minister, legislator, and president of the Botswana Republican Party (BRP), has delivered a clear message: the government has exceeded its authority, and he is prepared to challenge it in court to uphold constitutional limits. Before Attorney General Dick Bayford sits a legal notice from Butale, who intends to contest the administrative removal of specific sections of the Penal Code, namely Section 164. Butale brings this notice in his personal capacity as...

The Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) is nearing the final stages of a comprehensive constitutional review, part of its wider reform agenda. Kentse Rammidi, the party’s Secretary General, confirmed that the process is advanced and expected to be completed soon, with plans to present the revisions to party members before the end of the year. Since taking the helm after the Maun special congress, BDP President Mpho Balopi has emerged as a leading advocate for constitutional...

The alliance between the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) and the public sector labor movement, particularly the Botswana Federation of Public Sector Unions (BOFEPUSO), has sharply deteriorated in recent months, revealing deepening fractures in what was once a strategic political partnership.

Botswana’s key anti-corruption bodies, the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC) and the Office of the Ombudsman, are yet to lay eyes on the full forensic audit report that has ignited a storm of corruption allegations across several government institutions.

At the age of 86, Festus Gontebanye Mogae, the third president of Botswana, has passed away, marking the end of an era for one of Africa’s most respected leaders. Mogae, who died on May 8, 2026, had been hospitalized in the capital city of Gaborone after falling ill in April.

The 2026 World Athletics Relays, recently held in Gaborone, Botswana, have emerged as a landmark event not only in the world of sports but also as a significant economic catalyst for the host nation.

Former President Mokgweetsi Masisi opened up this week about the forces, both outside and within his party, that led to his stunning defeat in the 2024 general elections, which saw the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) lose control of the government for the first time in nearly six decades.