P 271510Z AUG 08
FM AMEMBASSY GABORONE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5240
INFO AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS GABORONE 000749 
 
 
DEPT FOR AF/FO, AF/S 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL OTRA BC
SUBJECT: SCENESETTER FOR A/S FRAZER'S VISIT TO BOTSWANA, SEPTEMBER 
6-7, 2008 
 
¶1.  (U) Country Overview: Independent since 1966, Botswana is 
frequently hailed as an African success story: a multiparty 
democracy with a record of political and social stability and 
respect for human rights.  Botswana shares a vast, desolate, and 
porous border with its neighbors: South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe and 
Namibia.  Botswana's population of 1.7 million is spread throughout 
an arid country the size of Texas.  The largest ethnic group is the 
Tswana group, which is organized into several Tsetswana-speaking 
tribes.  Key minority groups include the Bakalanga in the north and 
the Basarwa (aka "San" or "Bushmen") in the central and western 
areas. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) The current ruling party, the Botswana Democratic Party 
(BDP) has ruled ably and benevolently since independence, with the 
current government inaugurated on April 01, 2008.  Despite the 
predominance of one party, Botswana generally protects political, 
economic, and social freedoms.  In 2007, Reporters Without Frontiers 
scores Botswana as equal to the United States in its Freedom of the 
Press index, although Freedom House International did list some 
areas for concern in its report. 
 
¶3.  (U) Economically, Botswana is now considered a "middle income" 
country.  Its rapid development has been driven by a rich diamond 
mining industry, revenues from which continue to be invested heavily 
in health, education, and infrastructure.  Botswana currently has no 
national debt, and the government is the largest employer.  In its 
2007 rankings, Transparency International ranked Botswana as the 
least corrupt country in Africa, ahead of some western countries 
including Italy and Greece.  However, its proximity to its powerful 
neighbor, South Africa, means that Botswana tends to be a second 
choice when it comes to foreign direct investment, regardless of its 
favorable preconditions. 
 
¶4.  (U) In coming years, Botswana will deal with several key issues. 
 Unemployment remains high at 17.6%.  The rich-poor gap is widening, 
and revenue from diamond mining (33% of GDP) that has funded a 
large, relatively benign public sector has crowded out the emergence 
of a robust and entrepreneurial private sector.  In the health 
field, the country is combating an HIV/AIDS prevalence of 25%. 
Anti-retroviral treatment (ART) is now available to most people in 
need, but the government, through programs often conducted in 
partnership with PEPFAR-funded organizations, aim at ensuring an 
HIV-free generation by 2016. 
 
Domestic Politics 
----------------- 
¶5.  (U) In 2008, former President Festus Mogae retired, and current 
President Ian Khama, son of the country's first president, 
hereditary chief of a key tribe, and a military general who once 
headed the Botswana Defense Force, was sworn into office on April 
01, 2008.  He will serve until general elections in October 2009. 
Given the President Khama's current high popularity rating, 
historical satisfaction with the BDP, and lack of an organized 
opposition, Khama and the BDP are largely expected to win an easy 
reelection. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) President Khama, in his inaugural address, stressed what 
he called "the four 'Ds'": democracy, development, discipline, and 
dignity.  Of these four "Ds", discipline has become the hallmark of 
his presidency.   He has focused on improving government service 
levels, and has been known to appear unexpectedly to inspect offices 
throughout the ministries.  He has also targeted perceived social 
ills, such as alcoholism and drunken driving, by make sweeping 
presidential decrees, including mandating earlier closing times for 
bars and a 70% increase in the price of alcohol.  Implementation of 
these decrees has met with delays, as business owners and trade 
groups protest and file legal challenges.  Such measures have led 
some critics to say that Khama has assumed an overly paternal role 
in governing Botswana. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) In Summer 2008, the Parliament introduced a bill to 
register all media practitioners with the government instead of 
through a self-regulating, professional accreditation system.  While 
Khama has not sponsored this bill, it has drawn similar criticism to 
other attempted changes under his government, namely that it amounts 
to excessive government involvement that infringes on certain 
aspects of a free society.  Parliament has invited public comments 
on the proposed legislation, and has not yet voted on it. 
 
Zimbabwe 
-------- 
¶8.  (U) Despite some criticism, Khama remains very popular, not only 
for his ties to Botswana's traditional culture but also for his 
prominent international stance on the Zimbabwe issue.  Under Khama, 
the GOB's stance shifted from quiet diplomacy to pointed criticism 
of Zimbabwe, which even amounted to a refusal by Botswana to 
recognize Mugabe and a boycott of the August 2008 Southern African 
Development Community (SADC) meeting that Mugabe attended.  This 
position has met with widespread approval, and editorials and public 
comments fault other African countries, including South Africa, with 
turning a blind eye to the true situation in Zimbabwe.   Despite 
strong condemnation of the situation in Zimbabwe and an avoidance of 
official high level contacts, Botswana does maintain pragmatic 
relations with Zimbabwe on daily matters. 
 
¶9.  (U) The crisis in Zimbabwe continues to have serious social and 
economic impacts on Botswana.  Zimbabwe's economic and political 
crises have damaged investor confidence in the region.  Botswana 
already witnessed many illegal economic migrants from Zimbabwe, and 
the most recent situation has produced an increase in political 
refugees.  These arrivals strain Botswana's social service 
infrastructure, especially medical care.  Still, the GOB has 
remained very welcoming to refugees and drafted a detailed plan for 
processing refugees and ensuring that welcome centers and refugee 
camps have been prepared.   Working with the UNHCR, among other 
partners, the GOB continues to explore accommodating the needs of 
the refugees, especially the medical needs and pharmaceutical 
requirements of HIV-positive arrivals.  Finally, criminal activity 
has increased and has, correctly or incorrectly, been attributed to 
the Zimbabwean immigrants. 
 
Regional Stability 
------------------ 
¶10.  (U) While Botswana is among the most stable countries in 
Africa, it is affected by regional conflicts or unrest, such as the 
current situation in Zimbabwe.  Engagement with the GOB through 
military-to-military training programs such as the International 
Military Education and Training (IMET) program aims to increase the 
ability of the Botswana Defense Force to assist in border control 
activities or peacekeeping and disaster response. 
 
¶11.  (U) The stability and general transparency of the government 
and society in Botswana makes it an ideal host for an African campus 
of the International Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA).  Opened in 
2003, the state-of-the-art facility just outside of Gaborone focuses 
on equipping police, customs, and immigration officials to counter 
terrorist threats and transnational crime, including trafficking in 
persons, drug trafficking, and money laundering.  ILEA-Botswana 
arranges for instructors from a wide variety of USG agencies and 
U.S. academic institution to teach students from among the 29 
African countries that are members of ILEA. 
 
Economic Issues 
--------------- 
¶12.  (U) Botswana is host to the secretariat of the Southern African 
Development Community (SADC).  However, U.S. economic and political 
cooperation within SADC is stymied by the organization's apparent 
acceptance of the political situation in Zimbabwe.  Although the 
U.S. and SADC cooperate in a number of ways, including support for 
harmonization of customs, power pool sharing, trade capacity 
building and combating terrorism, Zimbabwe remains a roadblock to 
greater development collaboration. 
 
¶13.  (U) The USG continues to pursue other avenues of economic 
cooperation, including through opportunities provided by the African 
Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).  The Gaborone-based USAID "Trade 
Hub" assists the SADC region to advance regional market integration 
and exports to global markets.  The Trade Hub helps the GOB to 
develop public-private sector policy dialogue, while fostering 
entrepreneurship by individuals.  The Trade Hub has identified niche 
markets to boost AGOA exports both bilaterally and within SADC. 
Most recently, an artisan assisted by the Trade Hub began exporting 
furniture to a high end retailer in the United States, and his 
success was highlighted in media reporting on the seventh U.S. 
Sub-Saharan Africa Trade and Economic Cooperation Forum, which 
featured the artisan as a speaker.  Because of budgetary concerns 
and oversights, future funding for the USAID Trade Hub remains 
uncertain. 
 
Health Issues 
------------- 
¶14.  (U) Although various statistics may differ, Botswana is 
generally considered to have an HIV/AIDS prevalence of nearly 25%. 
The GOB, through initiatives funded by diamond money, provides ART 
to more than 80% of the population in need.  Long-term, the GOB has 
developed "Vision 2016", a plan to have an HIV/AIDS-free generation 
by 2016, and has pursued measures to accomplish this goal.  GOB 
coordination and implementation capacities are stretched thin by a 
high HIV-prevalence population and limited human resources. 
 
¶15.  (U) To provide assistance, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention cooperate with the GOB through a partnership known as 
BOTUSA.  Working with funding from the President's Emergency Plan 
for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), which will have provided roughly $300 
million from FY2004 through FY2008, BOTUSA has grown to include 
HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment programs, including TB 
research and HIV prevention research.   BOTUSA also collaborates 
with Government to identify gaps in services and establish model 
programs to fill these gaps. Support from BOTUSA also strengthens 
underlying health infrastructure and systems, including commodities 
procurement systems and human resources. 
 
¶16.  (U) Former President Mogae has been an outspoken leader in 
combating HIV/AIDS, and he recently spoke at the 17th International 
AIDS Conference in Mexico City.  During his presidency, Mogae 
invited the U.S. Peace Corps to return to Botswana to assist with 
programs designed to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS.  With 103 
volunteers in country, the Peace Corps has established a positive 
reputation for providing key assistance in rural communities. 
 
The Basarwa (aka "San" or "Bushmen") 
------------------------------------ 
¶17.  (SBU) One lingering domestic issue concerns the January 2002 
relocation of the indigenous Basarwa by the GOB out of the Central 
Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR).  This received international attention 
and some NGOs, most notably Survival International (SI), alleged 
that the GOB relocated the Basarwa in order to pursue diamond mining 
in the CKGR.  The GOB claims that the relocation is a civilizing 
mission. It wants the Basarwa integrated into Botswana society. The 
government is very sensitive to discussion or criticism on this 
issue. 
 
The Basarwa (San, Bushmen) 
-------------------------- 
¶18.  (SBU) A Basarwa NGO, First Peoples of the Kalahari brought a 
suit against the government, charging that the Basarwa's 
constitutional and human rights were infringed by the relocation. 
In late summer 2007, the High Court delivered a verdict that has 
proved a pyrrhic victory for the Basarwa.  The High Court determined 
that the GOB could not force the relocation of the Basarwa but also 
was not obligated to provide certain public benefits, such as access 
to water.  In the meantime, the GOB has since announced plans to 
open a diamond concession in the CKGR.  Discussions continue 
internally between the Basarwa representatives and between the 
Basarwa groups and the GOB on what the High Court's decision means 
and how it should be implemented. 
 
 
GONZALES