Minister Nkoana-Mashabane arrives in Botswana for polls

Friday, October 10, 2014

Pretoria - International Relations and Cooperation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane has arrived in Botswana for the launch of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Election Observer Mission.

The Minister is in Gabarone, where she is representing President Jacob Zuma, who is the chairperson of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation.

The visit comes as Botswana is scheduled to hold its General Elections on 24 October.

South Africa was elected at the recent SADC Summit - held in Zimbabwe - to chair the Organ, which is responsible for the maintenance of peace and stability in the region.

As chair of the Organ, South Africa is leading SADC Election Observer Missions in Mozambique, Botswana and Namibia.

“The holding of regular democratic elections in the region is a positive development and one of the key contributors to peace, stability and development in the region,” said Minister Nkoana-Mashabane.

The upcoming elections will be the 11th for Botswana.

The ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), which is led by President Ian Khama, has been in power since independence in 1966.

It is widely expected that a comfortable victory for BDP in 2014 remains by far the most likely outcome.

BDP will be up against Dumelang Saleshando of Botswana Congress Party (BCP) and Duma Boko of the Umbrella for Democratic Change.

Khama, the country's fourth president since independence, succeeded the former president Festus Mogae in 2008 following the latter's retirement. Khama was then elected as the president during the 2009 general elections.

Namibians will go to the polls in November to elect the country's third democratically elected president, as well as members of the National Assembly.

The country has held relatively peaceful and fair elections since gaining independence from South Africa in 1990. - SAnews.gov.za