2024 Botswana general election

2024 Botswana general election

30 October 2024
61 of the 69 seats in the National Assembly 31 seats needed for a majority
Registered	1,038,275 12.19%
Leader Mokgweetsi Masisi Duma Boko Party BDP UDC Leader's seat None Did not stand Last election 52.65%, 38 seats 35.88%, 15 seats Current seats 38 8 Seats needed 23   BPF Leader Dumelang Saleshando Mephato Reatile Party BCP BPF Leader's seat Maun West Jwaneng-Mabutsane Last election 11 seats 4.41%, 3 seats Current seats 7 4 Seats needed 24 27
Incumbent President Mokgweetsi Masisi BDP

General elections are being held on 30 October 2024, to determine the composition of the 13th Parliament of Botswana as well as local councils across the country. Up for election are 61 seats of the National Assembly as well as 609 local council seats, all elected through the first-past-the-post voting system.

Since the first election under universal suffrage in 1965, the Botswana Democratic Party has held a majority of seats, without interruption, in the National Assembly and has thus governed alone for 58 years, making Botswana a country characterised by a dominant-party system.

Background

Previous election

Main article: 2019 Botswana general election

The election held on October 23, 2019, saw the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) maintain its parliamentary majority for the 12th consecutive time, securing 53% of the votes and 38 out of 57 seats, one more than in the 2014 election. The Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) garnered 36% of the votes and 15 seats, two fewer than its 2014 result. The election marked a significant political realignment in Botswana's political landscape. This was because the Central District (which had consistently supported the BDP, averaging around 75% of the vote since the first elections in 1965) saw large swings to the opposition due to former President Ian Khama's backing of the newly-formed Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) and of UDC candidates, where the BPF did not stand candidates of its own. The UDC and BPF won 11 out of 17 seats in the district, marking the first time ever that a party other than the BDP won a seat in the district. Nonetheless, the BDP made substantial gains in other regions, securing all seats in both Gaborone and districts in the southern parts of the country, offsetting the UDC's advances. The election outcome described as an upset was attributed to President Masisi's efforts to reconcile with segments of society previously at odds with Khama, such as labour unions, whose support had waned in the 2014 election. The rapprochement between the UDC leadership and Khama, who remains unpopular among urban and southern voters, led to a loss of support for the UDC among its traditional opposition base in the south.

While international observers deemed the elections "free and fair," Duma Boko contested the BDP's victory, alleging significant electoral irregularities. Despite the UDC's claims of multiple voting and bribery of election officials, their petition to invalidate the results was dismissed by the High Court in December 2019. Although the Court of Appeal agreed to hear the case in January 2020, it was later dismissed for lack of jurisdiction.

Background of opposition parties before the election

Following the 2019 elections, there were three opposing parties in the National Assembly—the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), the Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) and the Alliance for Progressives (AP). In August 2022, the BPF joined the UDC alliance, uniting all opposition parties in the National Assembly except for the AP.

The Botswana Congress Party (BCP), a major member of the UDC since 2017, had expressed interest in leaving the UDC alliance due to disagreements between BCP leader, Dumelang Saleshando and UDC leader, Duma Boko. Saleshando ceased to be the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, after a group of UDC MPs joined by five BCP dissidents, voted him out of the position in July 2022.

The BCP proposed forming an electoral alliance with the AP and the newly-formed, Botswana Labour Party (a minor Botswana National Front splinter party). However, the AP withdrew from the coalition talks after disagreements with the BCP largely due to disagreements over constituency allocation, opting to join the UDC instead.

In May 2023, the BCP's central committee unanimously decided to participate in the 2024 elections separately from the UDC alliance. The party cited concerns over the UDC's disregard for intra-party democracy and the vulnerability of their party leader to capture by "private interests", as reasons for their exit.

Following a party leadership retreat in April 2024, the BPF decided to leave the UDC alliance, opting for a "pact model" which would see the BPF not standing candidates in constituencies it deemed unwinnable and the UDC doing the same in constituencies which the BPF can win in, instead of running under the UDC—a proposal since rejected by UDC leadership.

Composition of parliament

See also: 12th Parliament of Botswana

The 12th Parliament was inaugurated on 5 November 2019. Dumelang Saleshando had replaced Duma Boko as Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly following Boko's defeat at the general election.

Prior to the ban on floor crossings in 2023, the National Assembly saw two BDP MPs and two UDC MPs defect to the UDC and BDP, respectively. A by-election was triggered in the Serowe West constituency after Tshekedi Khama's expulsion from parliament after he fled to South Africa with his brother (and former President), Ian Khama, causing him to miss the minimum number of sessions required to maintain his seat. The 2023 Serowe West by-election was held in July 2023 and saw the BPF retain the seat at a larger majority. Yandani Boko, former UDC MP for Mahalapye East, resigned from the National Assembly in March 2024. A by-election was not held for his seat as it was deemed too close to the dissolution of parliament, expected by August.

Electoral system

For the 2024 elections, the membership of the National Assembly consists of 61 MPs elected in single-member constituencies by first-past-the-post voting, six members appointed by the governing party and two ex-officio members (the President and the Speaker).

Voters are required to be citizens of Botswana and at least 18 years old and have been resident in the country for at least 12 months prior to voter registration. People who are declared insane, hold dual citizenship, under a death sentence, convicted of an electoral offence or imprisoned for at least six months are not allowed to vote. Candidates have to be citizens of Botswana, at least 21 years old, without an undischarged bankruptcy and be able to speak and read English sufficiently well to take part in parliamentary proceedings. They must also obtain a nomination from at least two voters in their constituency and the support of seven. A deposit is required, which is refunded if the candidate receives at least 5% of the vote in the constituency. Members of the Ntlo ya Dikgosi cannot stand for election to the National Assembly.

The president is indirectly elected for a five-year term by members of the National Assembly. Since 1997, the presidential term has been limited to a maximum of ten years, whether consecutive or not. The president's survival is dependent on whether their government has the support of a simple majority of the National Assembly MPs and can be removed anytime through a motion of no confidence, prompting their resignation or if not, the dissolution of parliament if the president refuses to do so.

During the general election campaign, each candidate must declare, upon filing their candidacy, which individual they support for the Office of President. The candidate who garners the backing of an absolute majority of the total number of elected MPs is automatically designated as president. If a party or alliance secures an absolute majority in the legislative elections, its presidential candidate becomes president without the need for an investiture vote. In practice, since legislative elections are conducted through first-past-the-post voting, this has been the norm, with Botswana always having majority governments ever since independence in 1966.

In the event that no candidate secures a simple majority, the National Assembly elects the president through an indirect, secret ballot, requiring a simple majority of the total number of MPs (excluding 'specially-elected' MPs). This election is limited to candidates who have the support of at least 10 MPs. If, after three rounds of voting, no candidate is elected, two additional rounds may be authorized by the speaker, if it is deemed that a successful election remains possible. Should these rounds also fail to produce a winner, or if the speaker declines to authorize further rounds, the National Assembly will be dissolved and new elections will be held.

Seat redistribution

In accordance with section 64. (1) of the Constitution of Botswana, a Delimitation Commission was appointed on 13 May 2022 (following the release of the decennial 2022 Botswana Census) to redistribute the constituencies of the National Assembly. The National Assembly passed a bill increasing the number of constituencies by four seats from 57 to 61 seats. Consultations with the public and various interest groups ran from 20 June to 28 November 2022. The Commission presented its finalised report to the President on 10 February 2023.

New seats

1. Mogoditshane West
2. Maun North
3. Okavango West
4. Okavango East
5. Kgatleng Central

Eliminated seat

1. Mmathethe-Molapowabojang

Election date and timeline

Unless a snap election is called, a general election is held every five years. The previous election was held on 23 October 2019. The president must issue writs for an election within sixty days of the expiration or dissolution of parliament. Under section 91 (3) of the constitution, parliament, "…unless sooner dissolved, shall continue for five years from the date of the first sitting of the National Assembly after any dissolution and shall then stand dissolved". If left to dissolve on its own, parliament would have done so on the 5th of November 2024. As a result, the latest possible date to hold the next election within constitutional limits would be on the 4th of January 2025.

However, due to longstanding convention, general elections are held in October and parliament is usually dissolved during the last week of August and (rarely) in the first week of September. Thus, on the 3rd of September 2024, President Mokgweetsi Masisi announced that the writs for the 2024 election will be returned on 5 September 2024 and parliament will stand dissolved on the same day; as a result, the election to the 13th Parliament must have been held no later than 4 November 2024.

However, it was widely accepted by political commentators, news media and the Independent Electoral Commission that the next election would be held in October 2024. Indeed, in his announcement the president stated that Wednesday, 30 October 2024, will be the election date and that the day and the next will be public holidays in an effort to boost turnout. The 13th Parliament shall commence within 30 days of the date of the general election. The schedule for the election is as follows:

Timetable

Key dates

Date	Event
3 September 2024 (Tuesday)	President Mokgweetsi Masisi announces that the general election will be held on 30 October.
5 September 2024 (Thursday)	Last sitting day of business in the 2019–2024 Parliament. Parliament prorogued.
	The 12th Parliament is dissolved.
	Writ day – President issues formal direction to the Independent Electoral Commission to hold the election. Official start of the campaign period.
28 September 2024 (Saturday)	Nominations for indirect presidential election candidates are held and close at 5:00 pm.
4 October 2024 (Friday)	Nominations for parliamentary and council candidates are held.
19 October 2024 (Saturday)	Advance voting (only for election and police officers who will be on duty on polling day) and overseas voting.
30 October 2024 (Wednesday)	Election day – Polling places across the country open 6:30 am to 7:00 pm. Preliminary election results are released progressively after 7:00 pm.

Voter registration

Botswana uses a 'periodic list' voter registration system where the election authority creates a new list of eligible voters every five years before each election, as opposed to a continuous register or civil registry. This process occurs just before the election and involves aiming to register all voters within a relatively short time frame. It is 'self-initiated' in the sense that voters must go to the electoral authority's centres nationwide to register themselves rather than the election authority going to the people.

Voter registration poster at a polling station in Gaborone Central constituency.

The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) oversaw the general voter registration, which began on 5 January, 2024 and ended on 3 February. Approximately 2,800 polling stations were open daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends. All citizens aged 18 years and above were eligible to register to vote. The total number of people who registered during the general registration was 764,539. Following a lower-than-expected number of registered electors after the general registration, two supplementary voter registration periods were held. The first, from 26 February to 15 March, added an additional 74,404 registered electors. The second and final supplementary registration took place from 20 to 31 May and was conducted across approximately 2,808 nationwide polling stations, unlike the first, which was held at harder-to-reach district commissioners' offices and Kgotlas. This phase yielded an additional 197,021 registered electors.

Observation controversy

In the lead-up to the general voter registration, the UDC established the Madibelatlhopho (lit. 'Protectors of the vote'), a group of UDC supporters constituted ad hoc to oversee the voter registration process. Their aim was to prevent alleged rigging in favor of the BDP by the IEC. The voter registration period for the 2024 general elections in Botswana was initially scheduled to run from 1 to 30 November 2023. However, it was indefinitely postponed due to legal challenges from the UDC.

On 7 November, Justice Gaolapelwe Ketlogetswe of the Francistown High Court issued a rule nisi requiring the IEC and other parties to justify why the UDC's Madibelatlhopho should be restrained from monitoring the national registration process. This decision temporarily allowed UDC observers to proceed with their plan to observe the registration cycle until the court's final determination. The court order permitted UDC clerks to daily record the names, national identity card numbers and registration booklets' serial numbers of registrants. The IEC announced a further postponement of the registration period, shifting it to occur from 13 November to 8 December 2023, to prevent UDC observers from accessing polling stations until the Court of Appeal, the country's highest court, made its final ruling.

The apex court ruled in favor of the IEC, denying the UDC's request to have the Madibelatlhopho access to registration booklets and other confidential voter information. This decision overturned the previous Francistown High Court ruling that had allowed the UDC to monitor the voter registration process. However, the court found no legal basis in the Electoral Act to grant the UDC such monitoring rights. The Leader of the Opposition, Dithapelo Keorapetse, expressed disappointment with the judgment, viewing it as "a setback for democracy".

Parties and candidates

This table shows the parties contesting the 2024 general election as well as the composition of the National Assembly at the 2019 general election and at its dissolution on 5 September 2024.

Name				Ideology	Political position	Leader	2019 result		Seats at dissolution
							Percentage (%)	Seats
	BDP		Botswana Democratic Party	Paternalistic conservatism	Centre to centre-right	Mokgweetsi Masisi	52.65	38 / 57	37 / 57
	UDC		Umbrella for Democratic Change	Social democracy Left-wing populism	Centre-left to left-wing	Duma Boko	35.88	15 / 57	7 / 57
	BCP		Botswana Congress Party	Social democracy	Centre-left	Dumelang Saleshando			7 / 57
	BPF		Botswana Patriotic Front	Populism Pro-Ian Khama	Big tent	Mephato Reatile	4.41	3 / 57	4 / 57
	BMD		Botswana Movement for Democracy	Right-wing populism Christian right	Right-wing	Thuso Tiego	0.27	0 / 57	0 / 57
	BRP		Botswana Republican Party	Christian democracy Social conservatism	Centre-right to right-wing	Biggie Butale	did not exist		0 / 57
	Vacancies								2 / 57

Presidential nominees

Duma Boko embraced as he arrives for nomination

Cheerful BDP supporters outside the High Court

In accordance with Section 7 of the Presidential Elections law, the Secretary of the Independent Election Commission appointed authenticating officers tasked with verifying the authenticity of documents submitted by presidential aspirants for the indirect presidential elections that occur as a form of an investiture vote after the general election of MPs. These officers were district commissioners, district officers and senior police officers. Acting as the returning officer for the presidential nomination process, the Chief Justice of the High Court received the nomination papers of the candidates on the 28th of September 2024, during two time slots: from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 2:30 to 5:00 p.m. The venue for this process was at the High Court headquarters in Gaborone. At the conclusion of this procedure, three political party leaders were duly declared as validly nominated candidates for the office of President, as shown below.

Name	Party
Duma Boko		Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC)
Mokgweetsi Masisi		Botswana Democratic Party (BDP)
Mephato Reatile		Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF)
Dumelang Saleshando		Botswana Congress Party (BCP)
Source:

MPs standing under a different political affiliation

Outgoing MP	2019 party		Constituency	2024 party
Aubrey Lesaso		UDC	Shoshong		BDP
Pono Moatlhodi		UDC	Tonota		BDP
Ignatius Moswaane		BDP	Francistown West		UDC
Mephato Reatile		BDP	Jwaneng-Mabutsane		BPF

MPs not standing for re-election

Name	Party		Constituency	Date announced
Mpho Balopi		BDP	Gaborone North	March 2022
Thapelo Matsheka		BDP	Lobatse	October 2023
Pono Moatlhodi		BDP	Tonota	August 2023
Eric Molale		BDP	Goodhope-Mabule	January 2024

MPs defeated in primary elections

Name	Party		Constituency
Sam Brooks		BDP	Kgalagadi South
Buti Billy		BDP	Francistown East
Tumisang Healy		BDP	Gaborone Central
Wilhelmina Makwinja		BDP	Lentsweletau-Mmopane
Lefoko Moagi		BDP	Ramotswa
Molebatsi Molebatsi		BDP	Mmadinare
Talita Monnakgotlha		BDP	Kgalagadi North
Oabile Regoeng		BDP	Molepolole North
Machana Shamukuni		BDP	Chobe

For further details of changes during the previous parliament see: 12th Parliament of Botswana § Floor crossings, resignations, expulsions and deaths.

Opinion polls

Polling firm	Fieldwork date	Sample size	BDP	UDC	BCP	BPF	BMD	Others	Undecided	Lead
Afrobarometer	23 Jul–10 Aug 2022	1,200	22.3%	37.5%	7.9%	3.4%	0.1%	1.2%	27.8%	15.2
2019 election	23 October 2019	–	52.7%	35.9%		4.4%	0.3%	6.7%	–	16.8

Results

← Summary of the 30 October 2024 election to the National Assembly

Parties and alliances		Popular vote			Seats
		Votes	%	±pp	Total	+/−
	Botswana Democratic Party (BDP)
	Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC)
	Botswana National Front (BNF)
	Independents1			n/a
	Alliance for Progressives (AP)
	Botswana People's Party (BPP)
	Botswana Congress Party (BCP)2			n/a
	Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF)
	Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD)
	Botswana Republican Party (BRP)			new		new
	Independents
Appointed and ex officio members					8
Blank ballots
Total					69	+4
Valid votes
Invalid/blank votes
Total votes cast / Turnout
Registered voters		1,038,275
Source
Footnotes: 1Includes four former MPs of the Botswana Congress Party (BCP) expelled in July 2022 for defying party orders after ousting BCP leader Dumelang Saleshando as Leader of the Opposition. They remain as independents affiliated with the UDC. Figures here include other independent candidates with no party affiliation but also linked to the UDC. 2 Within the UDC alliance in the 2019 election.