BOTSWANA'S historic election, which ended the Botswana Democratic Party's (BDP) nearly six-decade rule, offers valuable lessons to Africa's former liberation movements, like Zanu PF, as they face growing discontent amid economic hardship and rising frustration from their citizens.
Described by the BBC as a “political earthquake”, the election results saw incumbent Mokgweetsi Masisi and the BDP unseated by the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), led by Dumo Boko.
In a striking act of statesmanship, Masisi conceded defeat and congratulated Dumo, marking a peaceful political transition in the diamond-rich nation.
The BDP’s struggles with economic stagnation, rising unemployment, and public corruption contributed to its fall — a scenario echoed across the continent, where former liberation parties are increasingly challenged by public demand for economic development over historical legacy.
Botswana's elections come a year after Zimbabwe's election, which was criticised by the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) and other international observer bodies for failing to meet international best practices. In 2018, President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who rose to power after a military coup ended Robert Mugabe's 38-year tenure, won the presidential poll.
Elsewhere, Mozambique has seen unrest after a contested election that propelled Frelimo’s Daniel Chapo to power, extending Frelimo’s rule to nearly five decades and triggering widespread protests.
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Similarly, in South Africa, the African National Congress (ANC) suffered its worst electoral setback since Nelson Mandela’s historic 1994 victory. President Cyril Ramaphosa now leads a coalition government, the result of growing discontent with the ANC's failure to address rampant poverty and inequality.
The New York Times, in an analysis published in the wake of the elections, attributed ANC’s defeat to its “arrogance” and the impact of widespread corruption in eroding its support among black South Africans.
“Black voters have grown resentful of the ANC government’s failure to provide even the most basic services,” the article reads.
“While the African National Congress, or ANC, remains the leading party in last Wednesday’s election, the latest tally is widely viewed as a political defeat and a rebuke from voters…who have become exasperated with the only party they have known since the end of apartheid.”
This month, Swapo, which delivered Namibia’s independence in 1990, will face its litmus test following years of decline.
Namibia’s polls come after the death of President Hage Geingob, who was to step down after his second and final constitutionally-mandated term in November.
The Africa Centre for Strategic Studies observes that Swapo’s decline is in part, attributed to a restive youth electorate, which does not identify with the liberation movement’s values.
“While Swapo has won every previous presidential election, the margins have been decreasing,” the think tank wrote on its website.
Moreover, the polity is changing with a growing share of urban voters and those who are “born free” (i.e., after independence in 1990). Their attitude toward Swapo and its liberation credentials are naturally different from that of older generations.
Political analyst Reuben Mbofana contended that former liberation movements in Africa were losing support because they had grown out of touch with an electorate burdened by economic ills on the continent.
He commented: “Former liberation movements should learn that liberation struggle credentials alone do not cut it with voters anymore.
“Using the 'we fought for this country's independence' only worked in the early days of independence. These liberation movements should transform from liberation movements into political parties that understand today's issues affecting the people.
“Today's generations do not care about that anymore. They are more interested in real bread and butter issues such as employment, good salaries, and a decent livelihood.
“These are issues these former liberation movements should be focused on. Not how they fought for our independence. This independence becomes meaningless when the citizenry is suffering and feeling hopeless.”
Another political analyst Rashweat Mukundu observed that political parties, which uprooted colonial rule on the continent were facing a fierce pushback from the opposition due to their failure to address economic challenges confronting the electorate.
“Africa now has a new generation that does not identify with the history of liberation movements. This generation places emphasis on the delivery of public goods. In the case of Botswana, the BDP lost touch with the changing demographics,” he said.
“Liberation movements are generally out of touch with the people because of arrogance and lack of political transformation. They also lack commitment to the ethos of the liberation struggle.”
Stephen Chan, a professor at the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London noted that though the BDP’s liberation credentials were questionable, its shock defeat at the polls signalled the decline of political parties which had dislodged colonialism in Africa.
He commented: “The Botswana result was atypical as there was no liberation struggle for independence and hence no liberation party.
“There is nevertheless a lesson to the wider region where liberation parties are still in power, and that is there is a thirst for youthful leadership that is not tainted by party corruption. The test of this, involving a liberation party, will come shortly with the Namibian elections.”
Without embarking on a rapid transformative process, which dovetails with the aspirations of Africa’s evolving electorate; the continent’s liberation movements could be staring defeat in the face.