Speaker of the National Assembly Dithapelo Keorapetse has warned that the public mandate delivered to the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) in the 2024 general election could erode if promised reforms fail to produce meaningful change.
Opening the Third Meeting of the Second Session of the 13th Parliament, Keorapetse said the political transition that ended the Botswana Democratic Party’s 58-year rule had created high public expectations that now needed to be met through decisive action.
“The change that took place in October 2024 was unprecedented in the sense that it evoked high expectations. These expectations must be borne and executed by the leadership chosen by the people,” he said.
Keorapetse said voters expected change that was “fundamental in form and shape, drastic in its nature and impactful in its execution”.
Although he did not single out any government official, his remarks amounted to a warning that the new administration must move beyond campaign promises and ensure that ordinary citizens experience tangible improvements in their daily lives. He said workers, students, teachers, members of the security services, mine workers, people living with disabilities, women, young people, small business owners, pensioners and street vendors should all benefit from the country’s political transition.
“The role of leadership is to make change tangible, drastic, and meaningful to the lives of ordinary people, the people that made it happen,” he said.
The Speaker also cautioned against indecision and what he described as “isomorphic mimicry”, a governance concept referring to reforms that create the appearance of change without altering underlying systems.
Keorapetse argued that all three arms of government — the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary — must reflect the aspirations that drove voters to elect a new government.
“These arms must demonstrate that there is change; they must represent the aspirations and wishes of our people,” he said.
Describing the 2024 election result as an “earth-shattering” political shift, he said the moment demanded more than superficial reform.
“This earth-shattering change wasn’t apologetic; it was drastic and devastating. This change can’t be cosmetic,” he said.
Keorapetse warned that failure to fundamentally transform institutions and governance structures could undermine public trust in the country’s new leadership.
“It was a historic change that requires a complete overhaul of the system to ensure that the change captures the desire by those that brought it about.”
He added: “If you do not change, the confidence in leadership will suffer.”
The Speaker also cautioned against indecision and what he described as “isomorphic mimicry”, a governance concept referring to reforms that create the appearance of change without altering underlying systems.
“Let’s discourage isomorphic mimicry where there’s temptation to create an illusion of reform to satisfy external observers — an illusion that we are busy doing something when we are busy making sure nothing is done,” he said.
