Vol 45 No 23 | BOTSWANA Khama's coming 19th November 2004 Africa's most successful democracy will soon be run by a military man The general elections of 30 October ended with a renewed majority of 31 seats for the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP). It was, predictably, a vote for no change - until the Vice-Pr...
Vol 44 No 14 | BOTSWANA Mogae plays the Khama card 11th July 2003 Traditional leadership and diamond money keep a stable democracy going Botswana's democratic reputation rests on its constitution, whereby the president is chosen by the governing Botswana Democratic Party and duly voted into office by the elected par...
Vol 44 No 14 | BOTSWANAUNITED STATES Kidnapped II 11th July 2003 Just in time for President George W. Bush's visit to Gaberone on 10 July, a row has blow up over allegations that five suspected supporters of Al Qaida were kidnapped in Malawi by ...
Vol 43 No 1 | BOTSWANA Doing the splits 11th January 2002 The main opposition party, the Botswana National Front, has a new leader but remains divided. At its national congress Otsweletso Moupo, a lawyer from Selebi Phikwe, beat Peter Wot...
Vol 42 No 19 | BOTSWANA Koma going 28th September 2001 The feeble opposition should be strengthened by the imminent retirement of Kenneth Koma, veteran leader of the Botswana National Front. His BNF critics walked out in 1998 to form t...
Vol 42 No 14 | BOTSWANA Grit that glitters 13th July 2001 Caught between blood diamonds and cheap copies, best friends move closer The global diamond market is under pressure - from recession in North America, from 'blood diamonds' fuelling wars in Africa and from synthetic imitations. For Botswana, the threat...
Vol 42 No 13 | BOTSWANA Following Festus 29th June 2001 The party congress season unleashes some political tensions Botswana's low volume politics will be turned up a few notches in July when the two main parties hold their congresses and rival factions stake their political claims. In the rulin...
Vol 41 No 25 | BOTSWANA Diamonds and danger 22nd December 2000 Neither jewels nor stability pay a cure for HIV-AIDS Botswana's famously democratic politics are as stable as usual but they cannot solve all the problems. First, the politics. A year into President Festus Mogae's first five-year ter...
Vol 40 No 21 | BOTSWANA All his own work 22nd October 1999 After a false start President Festus Mogae has passed his first electoral test President Festus Mogae has gained the clear mandate he sought to govern in his own right. The ruling Botswana Democratic Party won its eighth successive victory at the general elec...
Vol 40 No 21 | BOTSWANA Diamond deal 22nd October 1999 As luck would have it, investment incentives and job creation measures by Botswana's new government could be paid for out of extra revenues from the recent recovery in the world di...