The Big Governance Issues in Botswana: A Civil Society Submission to the African Peer Review Mechanism

The report identifies 12 governance challenges in Botswana, noting that while the country has a history of good governance, it now faces rising corruption and a lack of accountability. Key areas of concern include the marginalisation of smaller parties and women/youth due to the First Past the Post electoral system, poor public service performance resulting from a lack of comprehensive decentralisation policy, and economic exclusion where many citizens remain below the poverty line despite national growth. The submission recommends a Mixed Member Proportional Representation system, the creation of a national action plan on human rights, and the development of a written overarching foreign policy framework centered on the economy.

• Botswana's governance is characterized by a history of stability, but current trends show increasing corruption and a decline in accountability, as reflected in several governance indicators.
• The First Past the Post electoral system is cited as a barrier to political participation that marginalises smaller parties and leads to the underrepresentation of youth and women in Parliament.
• Public service performance is hindered by a lack of a comprehensive decentralisation policy, which keeps major powers and responsibilities within the central government and limits the autonomy of local councils and civil society.
• Despite overall economic growth, many citizens of Botswana are excluded from the economy and continue to live below the poverty line with limited opportunities for wealth accumulation.
• Natural resource management and sustainable development are challenged by poor policy coherence, weak implementing authorities, and a shortage of serviced land, particularly affecting women.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2021). The Big Governance Issues in Botswana: A Civil Society Submission to the African Peer Review Mechanism. https://saiia.org.za/research/the-big-governance-issues-in-botswana-a-civil-society-submission-to-the-african-peer-review-mechanism/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. The Big Governance Issues in Botswana: A Civil Society Submission to the African Peer Review Mechanism. 2021. https://saiia.org.za/research/the-big-governance-issues-in-botswana-a-civil-society-submission-to-the-african-peer-review-mechanism/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=The Big Governance Issues in Botswana: A Civil Society Submission to the African Peer Review Mechanism |date=28 March 2021 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/the-big-governance-issues-in-botswana-a-civil-society-submission-to-the-african-peer-review-mechanism/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2021big, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{The Big Governance Issues in Botswana: A Civil Society Submission to the African Peer Review Mechanism}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2021}, month = mar, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/the-big-governance-issues-in-botswana-a-civil-society-submission-to-the-african-peer-review-mechanism/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }