Political party funding debate far from over

It remains to be seen if President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi’s government will heed the public outcry and finally introduce state funding of political parties in Botswana. Over the years political parties have cried foul that the ground is not level as the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) uses its muscle and state resources to campaign. In every general election, BDP has been able to have at least one new vehicle for every constituency and such vehicles are normally given at the party’s last National Council where final candidates for each constituency are launched.

The general election is getting expensive by the day, as parties have to produce manifestos, flyers, buy advertising space travel through the length and breath of the country canvassing for support among others and lately, feeding attendees at their political rallies.

Among local businesses, only Kgalagadi Breweries and Botswana Breweries took the bold step in 2009 by giving political parties P2 million. The money benefitted major parties in BDP, Botswana Congress Party (BCP) and Botswana National Front (BNF) with the allocation based on how each fared during the 2004 elections. Sadly big companies have not bought into KBL’s landmark gesture.

Instead, each political party continues to fend for itself and most of the huge and undisclosed donations come from outside the country as evidenced by the 2019 general elections where the dynamics and landscapes completely shifted with the opposition Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) under Duma Boko being sponsored by the South African-based Moti Group while the BDP claimed to have been using undisclosed local donors.

Recently, Member of Parliament for Gantsi Motsamai Motsamai joined his many predecessors who asked both past and present ministers if there will ever be political party funding. Motsamai asked Minister for Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration to brief the House on efforts being made to introduce state funding of political parties in Botswana, and if there are no such efforts, why is that the case? And if there are such efforts, what are the timelines.

Assistant Minister for Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration Dumizweni Mthimkhulu gave a not so convincing answer stating that government has the commitment to facilitate debates on political party funding.

“This Honourable House will recall that in February 2019 an All Party Conference Task Team (APCTT) presented proposals for political funding. These were not debated. That notwithstanding, it is our considered view, that issues of that nature require extensive discussions by all political parties concerned.

It is our hope that the issue will be discussed at the next meeting of All Party Conference (APC) which I intend to call as soon as it is possible to do so.”