Botswana’s 2019 General Elections: A Referendum on General Ian Khama

Seabo, Batlang; Nyenhuis, Robert

doi:10.1017/asr.2021.69

Cited by 1 publication

(2 citation statements)

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“…While delving into these dynamics is beyond the scope of this paper, the transition between the two presidents dissolved into personal and partisan acrimony (Fabricius, 2019; The Economist, 2019). In an unprecedented move, Khama quit the ruling party founded by his father and used his traditional legitimacy as a paramount chief to actively campaign against Masisi in the November 2019 elections (Brown, 2020; Morton, 2019; Seabo and Nyenhuis, 2021). Rather than focusing on the electoral dimensions, we next examine three areas of conservation policy where the transition was seen by outside actors as potentially jeopardizing Botswana's conservation reputation.…”

Section: Presidential Turn-over and Realignments In Conservation Policymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Fall from grace or back down to earth? Conservation and political conflict in Africa’s “miracle” state

LaRocco

Mogende

2022

Environment and Planning E: Nature and Space

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Since the publication of the influential text, An African Miracle, much scholarship has focused on Botswana's supposed “exceptionality” anchored in the country's economic growth and sustained democracy. Botswana's success story has proved enduring and versatile, being deployed in numerous contexts including in relation to Botswana’s status as a conservation “safe haven” in southern Africa. Many green plaudits are associated with the tenure of former president Ian Khama (2008–2018), who broke with longstanding tradition and actively campaigned against his own vice president and successor, President Mokgweetsi Masisi. Their acrimonious relationship is multifaceted but in this article, we refer to disputes over wildlife conservation policy wherein Masisi rolled back his predecessor's signature conservation policies, focusing specifically on the reversal of the hunting ban, the disarming of some anti-poaching officers, and changes in Botswana's stance in international environmental diplomacy regarding ivory and the CITES regime. We contend that Khama's conservation decisions—underpinned by lack of consultation and green violence—made Botswana a “green miracle” to outside observers while contravening the central principles of local democratic practice such as therisanyo (consultation) cherished in the country. We argue that Masisi's reversal of Khama-era positions that were unpopular with conservation-adjacent communities represents not a “fall from grace,” but rather the bringing back down to earth of policies that had alienated the local population, thus indicating the potential to pursue inclusive governance that domestically Botswana acclaims.

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Section: Presidential Turn-over and Realignments In Conservation Policymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While the BDP was electorally successful overall, they did not see substantial gains in the most wildlife-rich areas. See Brown (2020) and Seabo and Nyenhuis (2021) for further electoral analysis.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Fall from grace or back down to earth? Conservation and political conflict in Africa’s “miracle” state

LaRocco

Mogende

2022

Environment and Planning E: Nature and Space

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Botswana’s 2019 General Elections: A Referendum on General Ian Khama

Cited by 1 publication

References 38 publications

Fall from grace or back down to earth? Conservation and political conflict in Africa’s “miracle” state

Fall from grace or back down to earth? Conservation and political conflict in Africa’s “miracle” state

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