When the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) campaigned for power, one of its most compelling promises was the restoration of democratic accountability. It argued that oversight institutions had been weakened by their proximity to the Office of the President and that genuine reform required their liberation from executive control.
The party spoke of compromised watchdogs, excessive presidential power and the need for security of tenure for the heads of institutions such as the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC).
Two years after taking office, little appears to have changed.
The architecture that placed critical oversight institutions under the influence of the Executive remains largely intact.
The promised reforms that were presented as essential to safeguarding democracy have yet to materialise in any meaningful way. While the new administration inherited a difficult governance landscape, institutional independence was never sold to voters as a long-term aspiration. It was presented as an urgent necessity.
On the question of institutional independence, the UDC has yet to demonstrate that it is prepared to move from opposition-era promises to government-era action. Until it does, the promise of liberated oversight institutions will remain exactly that: a promise.
This matters because independence is not measured by rhetoric. It is measured by structures, laws and safeguards.
An oversight institution cannot be considered fully independent if its leadership remains vulnerable to executive discretion. Nor can public confidence be restored through assurances alone. The credibility of anti-corruption agencies, regulators and other watchdogs depends on their ability to act without fear of dismissal or political interference.
Botswana’s democratic renewal was never supposed to be limited to a change of occupants in government offices. It was supposed to involve a change in how power itself is exercised and constrained.
Two years is not enough time to solve every national problem. It is, however, enough time to begin implementing reforms that require political will more than financial resources.
On the question of institutional independence, the UDC has yet to demonstrate that it is prepared to move from opposition-era promises to government-era action. Until it does, the promise of liberated oversight institutions will remain exactly that: a promise.
