That has prompted some aggressive campaigning by President Mokgweetsi Masisi and his rivals especially his predecessor General Ian Khama who is now backing an opposition party...
The main parties and their leaders are: The Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) is led by Mokgweetsi Masisi 63 who is a former schoolteacher and staffer at the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)...
DISPATCHES
Khama has always denied the charges and says they are part of a persecution campaign by President Mokgweetsi Masisi who he handpicked to succeed him in 2018...
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DISPATCHES
Although Botswana's Letsile Tebogo won a surprise gold in the men's 200 metres – prompting President Mokgweetsi Masisi to declare a public holiday – only 12 African countries made it onto the medals table...
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Though the UDC has had success in a series of by-elections since 2019 and analysts believe that the October polls will be the closest since the first elections post-independence in 1969 – which began over 50 years of uninterrupted rule by the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) – leader President Mokgweetsi Masisi is still the heavy favourite to secure a second full term...
The same day President Mokgweetsi Masisi called for a quick separation of De Beers from Anglo to avoid exposing De Beers to ‘a possible hostile takeover'...
President Mokgweetsi Masisi invested considerable political capital in the venture and brushed aside criticisms that HB was not big enough to take on the vast increase in scale the new supplies from Botswana would entail...
MASISI SISTER'S CHINA CONNEXION President Mokgweetsi Masisi is facing reputational challenges from a court case scheduled for next month which claims the 'first family' is excessively influenced by Chinese business interests...
The ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) has never been the same since President Mokgweetsi Masisi fell out with his mentor ex-President Ian Khama who had hand-picked him as his successor with no notion they would soon become deadly foes (AC Vol 59 No 6 A well-scripted succession)...
If President Mokgweetsi Masisi has got it right the new agreement Botswana has struck with its dominant economic partner De Beers – to sell half of its rough diamonds in 10 years' time – could make the difference between staying in power and becoming the first president since independence to be defeated at the polls...
President Mokgweetsi Masisi insists his renegotiation of terms with De Beers is a huge victory while others say it was the world's biggest diamond producer that came out on top in the deal reached on 30 June...
Launching HB Antwerp's Botswana factory on 27 March President Mokgweetsi Masisi announced the equity deal which will see the Belgian company getting its pick of rough diamonds from the state-owned Okavango Diamond Company (ODC) over five years...