Botswana Minute.
Tuesday, 28 July 2026
Botswana’s news, on the hour · Est. 2026
Tuesday, 28 July 2026
Gaborone—:—London—:—New York—:—Beijing—:—
Botswanan press · Organization

Umbrella for Democratic Change

Umbrella for Democratic Change — governing coalition that took office in 2024, currently facing fiscal crisis and economic transformation challenges.

2026-04-202026-07-28

In coverage

Verbatim sentences from the source article.

  1. May 2026
  2. Botswana Sunday Standard

    Sunday Standard Boko’s rule of law promise faces DIS reckoning Documents seen by Sunday Standard show that the new Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) government’s promise to restore accountability is facing one of its toughest early tests after the latest Public Accounts Commit

    Boko’s rule of law promise faces DIS reckoning
  3. April 2026
  4. Daily News Botswana

    review and renew laws and policies to ensure that they remained relevant to the national development agenda, as well as emerging regional and international issues that required adjustment if the country was to become a well-respected nation. “As the Umbrella for Democratic Change

    Parliament enacts 17 bills to support development agenda
  5. Daily News Botswana

    Botswana People’s Party (BPP) president, Mr Motlatsi Molapisi has assured Batswana that promises made by the ruling Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) will be fulfilled.

    Molapisi urges Batswana not to despair
  6. Daily News Botswana

    Reflecting on the party’s political journey, President Boko highlighted the formation and evolution of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), noting that despite internal tensions and setbacks, the BNF remained steadfast.

    Boko rallies party around faith and unity

Yesterday

  1. Government rules out audit of disputed 2019 elections

    The Botswana government has rejected calls for an independent audit of the 2019 General Elections, despite persistent accusations from the Umbrella for Democratic Change that the polls were manipulated. Minister Moeti Mohwasa told Parliament the administration will focus on economic transformation and electoral reforms rather than revisiting past election controversies.

    27 July 2026 · Weekend Post

  2. UDC's rights pledge tested by fiscal crisis and CSO cuts

    The UDC entered office promising a rights-based approach to governance, but a deep fiscal crisis is forcing difficult trade-offs. A new report warns that the government has cut financial support to key civil society organisations at a time of worsening economic pressures, rising unemployment, and poverty.

    27 July 2026 · Botswana Sunday Standard

  3. Malema warns UDC: revolution requires ordinary Batswana controlling wealth

    Speaking at the BNF's 60th National Conference, Julius Malema told the Umbrella for Democratic Change government that a true revolution requires ordinary Batswana to take control of the country's wealth, and warned that if the oppressed gained nothing while the oppressors lost nothing after the transition, "there was never a revolution."

    27 July 2026 · Mmegi

Wednesday 22 July

  1. UDC coalition parties to discuss economic outlook

    Two major parties within the Umbrella for Democratic Change are holding separate high-level meetings this weekend to address Botswana's economic situation.

    22 July 2026 · Weekend Post

  2. BPP president confirms Ntsima remains party member

    BPP president Motlatsi Molapisi has confirmed that Francistown East MP Tiroeaone Ntsima remains a member in good standing, dismissing speculation that he was leaving to join another party. Molapisi also expressed concern about the party's weak organisational structures and condemned character assassination among members.

    22 July 2026 · Daily News Botswana

Monday 20 July

  1. Boko affirms commitment to private-sector-led economy

    President Duma Boko has reaffirmed his government's commitment to transform Botswana's economy from public sector-led to private sector-led, citing efforts to diversify revenue away from diamonds. He cited improved national savings from P300 million in 2024 to P6.1 billion, a 5.4 per cent increase in BURS collections to P15.36 billion in the first quarter of 2026/2027, and cost containment measures yielding P2.73 billion in cumulative savings since August 2025.

    20 July 2026 · Daily News Botswana

Thursday 16 July

  1. BPP holds second leadership forum in Francistown

    The Botswana People's Party will hold its Second leadership forum this Saturday in Francistown to assess progress, strengthen internal structures and align the organisation with its strategic priorities as the country approaches the electoral cycle. The forum will review implementation of resolutions from the first forum held two months ago and strengthen leadership cohesion.

    16 July 2026 · Daily News Botswana

Monday 13 July

  1. President Boko approves DPP prosecution of Minister Salakae

    President Advocate Duma Boko has reportedly granted the Directorate of Public Prosecutions the green light to prosecute Minister Noah Salakae and directors of Tau Grading Company on allegations of corruption.

    13 July 2026 · Weekend Post

  2. New Gaborone city clerk appointed amid UDC governance tensions

    Batsalelwang has become the third town clerk at Gaborone City Council since the UDC took control following the 2024 election. The appointment occurs amid persistent tensions between elected councillors and senior management, marked by accusations of political interference and governance disputes.

    13 July 2026 · Mmegi

Sunday 21 June

  1. UDC retains Tatisiding North ward with 335 votes

    UDC candidate Keitumetse Tlhalerwa won the Tatisiding North Ward by-election on June 20 with 335 votes, increasing the party's margin from the 2024 general election when UDC won by one vote. The by-election followed the death of UDC Councillor Parkie Pius.

    21 June 2026 · Daily News Botswana

Monday 15 June

  1. Tati North by-election margin hinges on party unity

    The UDC and BDP face challenges rallying members who lost primary elections in Tati North, where historically narrow electoral margins mean that alleged internal divisions could significantly affect the outcome.

    15 June 2026 · Mmegi

Wednesday 10 June

  1. Artist Wame Bodutu celebrates African culture through visual art

    Wame Bodutu, an Afrocentric visual artist from Molepolole, has pursued art since primary school in 2008 and graduated from the University of Botswana with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in 2024. After mentorship from artists Bezuba Kaunda and Rodney Keitemoge, she has moved into mural painting and sold artworks, inspiring other women to pursue creative careers.

    10 June 2026 · Daily News Botswana

Tuesday 9 June

  1. Minister suspends Palapye council over leadership dispute

    The minister suspended the Palapye District Council and all its committees after councillors removed PDC chairperson Kabo Ketshogile (UDC) and voted in David Ikanyeng (BPF) as preferred chairperson, citing governance failures and the need to restore stability.

    9 June 2026 · Mmegi

  2. BPS denies elite crime unit shutdown amid scaling-back reports

    The Botswana Police Service has rejected claims that the City Police Unit (CPU), launched in December 2023, has been suspended, though sources say the government has quietly scaled back the initiative since the UDC took office in 2024, citing resource shortages and a reported shift toward the Safer City Project.

    9 June 2026 · Weekend Post

Friday 5 June

  1. BPF gains Palapye Council chairmanship via no-confidence vote

    The Botswana Patriotic Front has taken control of the Palapye District Council chairmanship after David Ikanyeng was elected following a successful motion of no confidence against UDC councillor Kabo Ketshogile.

    5 June 2026 · The Botswana Gazette

Tuesday 2 June

  1. BCP insists Selebi Phikwe East remains firmly under control

    The Botswana Congress Party dismissed growing political activity in Selebi Phikwe East, with Member of Parliament Kgoberego Nkawana assuring supporters at a rally that he remains committed to the BCP despite intensified campaigns by the ruling Umbrella for Democratic Change.

    2 June 2026 · Mmegi

  2. Political tensions rise in Selebi-Phikwe East ahead of 2029 election

    Political activity from the UDC and BCP in Selebi-Phikwe East signals the early stages of a fiercely contested 2029 election race, with tensions already escalating three years before the general election.

    2 June 2026 · Weekend Post

Monday 25 May

  1. Ntsima uses politics to improve lives, especially youth

    A parliamentary member and Minister of Trade and Entrepreneurship says his conviction that politics must serve to improve people's lives—especially young people, entrepreneurs, and ordinary communities—was shaped by university experience and civil society work. His background in business consulting has reinforced his belief that government should make it easier for citizens to start and grow businesses.

    25 May 2026 · Mmegi

Wednesday 13 May

  1. Saleshando denies involvement in government audit investigation

    A forensic audit commissioned by the UDC government for P57 million identified more than 80 current and former senior officials and 150 contractors, suppliers, and counterparties for special investigation, according to a summary report received by President Duma Boko.

    13 May 2026 · Mmegi

  2. Reflection on Festus Mogae's political legacy and opposition critique

    An opinion piece examines Festus Mogae's role in Botswana politics from the perspective of early 1990s opposition figures who viewed him as representing an establishment they considered cautious and elitist, amid political tensions over inequality, land allocation, and governance issues including the National Development Bank crisis.

    13 May 2026 · Daily News Botswana

Wednesday 6 May

  1. UDC administration will proceed with Constitutional Court reform

    Speaking at a Labour Day event in Letlhakane, Boko stated that the UDC administration will not back away from its Constitutional Court reform proposal, describing it as a "principled position" grounded in expert legal opinion and thoroughly examined by lawyers, advocates, scholars, and experts.

    6 May 2026 · Mmegi

Sunday 3 May

  1. PAC report renews DIS accountability allegations against UDC government

    A Public Accounts Committee report has reopened allegations against the Directorate of Intelligence and Security involving contract interference, hidden business interests, and court defeats, testing the new UDC government's promise to restore accountability.

    3 May 2026 · Botswana Sunday Standard

Tuesday 28 April

  1. Parliament passes 17 bills to support development agenda

    The 13th Parliament passed 17 bills and three key national policies during its recent session, marking a significant legislative milestone that will support the government's transformative agenda once they are assented to by the President. The bills and policies were passed as part of the government's effort to review and renew laws to ensure their relevance to national development and emerging regional and international issues.

    28 April 2026 · Daily News Botswana

Sunday 26 April

  1. BPP president assures Batswana UDC promises will be fulfilled

    Botswana People's Party president Motlatsi Molapisi addressed delegates at the party's first leadership forum, assuring Batswana that UDC coalition promises—including a P4,000 minimum wage—will be implemented as funds permit, and reiterated the BPP's commitment to the coalition while expressing concern that most of the party's councillors and MPs were absent.

    26 April 2026 · Daily News Botswana

Monday 20 April

  1. Boko urges BNF to unite around faith and economic reform

    At the BNF's 60th anniversary gala, President Duma Boko emphasized leadership driven by faith and long-term vision, while warning that diamonds account for about 80 per cent of national revenue and calling for urgent economic diversification through infrastructure projects, improved bureaucratic efficiency, and production-based empowerment. He also stressed the need for rule of law and institutional reform.

    20 April 2026 · Daily News Botswana

Umbrella for Democratic Change — Botswanan press coverage · Botswana Minute