The latest Afrobarometer survey says more than 80% of Batswana believe tribal chiefs are important in modern day Botswana. However, 73% say that if a chief wants to venture into politics he should step down from his traditional role. More than 60% support the village assembly system as a townhall for issues to be communicated to political leaders by chiefs. The majority of Batswana believe that chiefs are still relevant and that the village assembly system is an important part of the country's democracy, according to the latest Afrobarometer survey.

Botswana will hold general elections next year, but chiefs who want to venture into politics should renounce their traditional positions, 73% of the respondents said.

According to the survey, less than 20% of the sample is against the chieftainship system.

"Only about one in five Batswana (18%) think that the institution of chieftainship (bogosi) is outdated and should be abolished," the report said, adding that more than 80% disagree with this, and within that demographic, almost half are hardline supporters of chieftainships.

For most, politics is local. The village assembly system is popular because it "serves as the foundation for Botswana�s democracy and should therefore be open to discussing all issues affecting communities, including political matters".

Only a third disagreed with the village assembly concept.

The survey carried out by Afrobarometer in 2022 "attributed Botswana�s political stability to its judicious blending of republican and traditional institutions, crediting chieftainship with a critical role in Botswana�s democratic development as well as its people�s daily lives".

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In 2019, the fallout between self-exiled former president Ian Khama and his successor, President Mokgweetsi Masisi, took on a tribal twist when Khama went back to claim his tribal seat in the Central District.

This was a way of showing support for the newly formed Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF).

However, while there were notable upsets, the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) still remained in power.

Afrobarometer, which was led by Star Awards - a private research institute - had said a sample of 1 200 people were interviewed.

It said that "a sample of this size yields country-level results with a margin of error of +/-3 percentage points at a 95% confidence level".

The survey was carried out between July and August of last year and is the latest on Botswana. Its results were made public on Monday.

Source : News24

Author : Lenin Ndebele