Botswana votes in a national election this week that will decide if the ruling party extends a 58-year stretch in power in a southern African country that is a leading diamond producer and often held up as one of the most stable and least corrupt democracies on the continent. President Mokgweetsi Masisi of the ruling Botswana Democratic Party, or BDP, is seeking a second and final term in office, although Wednesday's election isn't directly for president. Voters will decide the makeup of Parliament and lawmakers will later elect the president. While the BDP has dominated Botswanan politics since independence from Britain in 1966, this election comes amid new economic uncertainty for a nation that relies heavily on diamond mining. Botswana is the second biggest producer of diamonds behind Russia and has been responsible for all the biggest rough gems found in the past decade, but it has experienced decreased revenue for its diamonds because of a downturn in demand. Sales of rough diamonds at Debswana, the company the Botswana government jointly owns with the De Beers Group and a critical source of state revenue, were down nearly 50% in the first half of 2024, according to authorities. That has put a dent in the public purse and raised criticism of Masisi and the BDP for not taking steps to diversify the economy. Unemployment has risen and stands at more than 27%, with youth unemployment above 45%. Government employees have been receiving their salaries late as a result of the tight financial position, taking the shine off of Botswana's reputation for efficient government and raising fears that austerity measures may be required. “It is the first time in more than four decades that the state coffers are negative," said opposition politician the Rev. Prince Dibeela. “There are also more than 200,000 young people who are employable but cannot find work. We are a very fragmented society.” The ruling BDP has promised to focus on diversifying Botswana's small economy, which has a GDP of $21 billion. Diamond mining and sales account for 80% of Botswana’s exports, a third of fiscal revenue and a quarter of the GDP, according to the International Monetary Fund, which has also said there's an urgent need for diversification. “The Botswana Democratic Party stands ready to serve the people of Botswana with promises that resonate deeply with their aspirations," said Lebogang Kwape, the Deputy Secretary-General of the BDP and the current foreign minister. “We have listened intently to the voices of all Batswana (people of Botswana) and crafted a manifesto that directly responds to their needs with realism and sincerity.” He said the BDP would put emphasis on processing mineral resources for new revenue streams, while also building the agriculture and tourism sectors. Just over a million people have registered to vote, according to the Independent Electoral Commission that runs elections, with the increasing unemployment rate a key issue for voters. Botswana is larger than France but has a population of just 2.5 million, with the Kalahari Desert covering large portions of the landlocked country that borders South Africa. Drought and desertification threaten Botswana's development and the livelihoods of many of its people. Three men have registered to challenge Masisi for president: Duma Boko of the main opposition Umbrella for Democratic Change party, Dumelang Saleshando of the Botswana Congress Party and Mephato Reatile from the Botswana Patriotic Front. The election will also revive Masisi's feud with former President Ian Khama, the man he succeeded as Botswana's leader and then fell out with. Khama, the son of Botswana's founding president, quit the BDP and went into exile in South Africa in 2021, accusing Masisi of taking an authoritarian approach to criticism. Khama was charged with illegal possession of a firearm and receiving stolen property in a criminal case he said was politically motivated to silence him. Khama returned to Botswana in September to attend a court hearing and has campaigned for the Botswana Patriotic Front in an attempt to oust Masisi. The 63-year-old Masisi is a former high school teacher and previously worked for the United Nations Children's Fund. He is just the fifth president of Botswana since it gained independence from Britain.

Bangladesh and Botswana have agreed to identify potential areas of cooperation in agriculture, livestock and fisheries and exchange technical knowledge and expertise in the agriculture sector. Both sides agreed to continue discussions in agriculture and fisheries at the government, farmers and expert levels. Bangladesh's State Minister Md Shahriar Alam, who is on a two-day official bilateral visit to Botswana, met with Botswana's Minister of Agriculture Fidelis M Malao in Gaborone Friday (February 10, 2023). Shahriar was accompanied by the Bangladesh High Commissioner in Pretoria, foreign ministry officials and embassy officials. Read More: US sees huge potential to grow its relations with Bangladesh: Counselor Chollet The Botswana delegation was represented by high officials of the Ministry of Agriculture, including representatives of the fisheries and aquaculture sector. Fidelis said Botswana is connected to many countries of the region by land routes. The Botswana government is putting special focus on developing the country's fisheries and aquaculture sectors, he added. Shahriar said his visit to Botswana marked the first foreign ministry delegation visit to Botswana and expressed satisfaction over the conclusion of the visa waiver agreement for holders of diplomatic and official passports and memorandum of understanding (MoU) on bilateral political consultations between the countries. Read More: Business Eswatini for signing MoU with FBCCI He briefed the Botswana side about Bangladesh's achievements in the agriculture sector during the last decade, including the production of food staples, vegetables, fisheries, poultry and livestock, despite having a comparatively low amount of land. He called on the Botswana side for considering providing contract farming opportunities to Bangladeshi entrepreneurs in the unused agricultural land.  Bangladesh already initiated contract farming in other countries in Africa on a low scale, Shahriar added. "Cooperation may be forged among B2B and B2G levels on contract farming."

Botswana said on Monday that it is fighting rhino poaching harder in the Okavango Delta in the northern part of the country.

President Mokgweetsi Masisi said Monday Botswana will continue to build capacity to counter the growing threat of wildlife poaching and trafficking.

Botswana's President Mokgweetsi Masisi has been sworn in after an election that saw the previous president break with the ruling party and back the opposition.