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MODULE 4: CITIZENSHIP IN BOTSWANA

*Citizenship denotes belonging and identifying oneself with a particular group.
*A citizen is a person who has rights and responsibilities within a particular group.
Citizenship is commonly used to refer to belonging to a particular country (national
citizenship) but it is not only restricted to one’s country. There are other levels of
citizenship such as family, community, continent and global citizenship.

Ways of acquiring citizenship in Botswana

The 1998 citizenship act provides for six ways of acquiring citizenship in Botswana.
a. Citizenship by birth
It means that a child born in Botswana acquires citizenship when at the time of birth
either the mother or father (or both) was a citizen of Botswana.
b. Citizenship by descent
The act provides that a person born outside Botswana shall be a citizen of Botswana if at
the time of birth his father or mother was a citizen of Botswana.
c. Citizenship by settlement
This is granted to a person who settled in Botswana immediately before 30th September
1966, and has lived as a member of a particular tribe or community.
d. Citizenship by adoption or registration.
Citizenship by adoption denotes citizenship given to a foreign child of not more than 3
years inherited by Botswana citizens under written laws. Registration is when a child of
more than 3 years old and less than 21 years is adopted by a citizen.
e. Citizenship by naturalisation
This refers to citizenship given to a foreigner who is 21 years or above and meets some of
the following requirements:
 He or she has been resident of Botswana for a continuous period of 12 months
before date of application for a certificate of naturalisation.
 He or she must have been resident of Botswana for at least 10 years.
 Must be of good character.
 He or she has sufficient knowledge of Setswana language or any language spoken
by any tribal community in Botswana.
f. Presidential dispensation (honorary citizenship)
This is a special kind of citizenship given to a foreigner by the President if he feels that
the person has contributed significantly to the welfare of the country.

Qualities of a good citizen

A good citizen is the one who knows his or her rights and responsibilities. A good citizen
should perform the following:
 All citizens aged 18 or above should vote in genera1 elections and national
referendum.
 Defend and represent the country with pride and dignity.
 Participate in development activities aimed at improving the welfare of the
country e.g. litter-picking, tree planting and crime prevention.
 Respect the law stated in the constitution.
 Respect the rights of other citizens.
 Sympathise with the less fortunate such as orphans, handicapped and destitutes.
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 Share scarce resources with other members of the society.

 Use resources in a sustainable manner so that future generations can also benefit
from the same resources.
 All citizens formally employed should pay tax when required so that money
accumulated can be used to develop other economic sectors.
 Guard against misuse and vandalism of government property e.g. by reporting
corruption and economic crime.
Rights and responsibilities of citizens
A right is something that all people are entitled to enjoy. Every person in Botswana is
entitled to the fundamental rights and freedoms of the individual regardless of ethnicity,
sex, race or political affiliation. Examples of such rights are:
Civil and political rights:
 the right to live
 right to nationality
 freedom of movement, expression and association
 right to vote
 freedom from torture, slavery, inhuman treatment
 right to take part in government activities
 right to a fair treatment by the law
 right to marry and establish own family
Social and cultural rights:
 right to work and be given equal pay for the job done
 right to leisure and rest
 right to privacy
 right to education
 right to own property
 right to physical and mental health
The right of the state to its citizens
 right to rule as it has been given the mandate by the people during elections
 sign treaties or agreements with other countries or organisations on behalf of
citizens
 protect basic human rights
 make decisions on behalf of the citizens e.g. whether the country should borrow
money from international organisations or not
 make or amend laws that are used to run the country
 hold regular elections so that leaders can be re-elected or voted out
 take action against individuals, groups, or organisations that violate constitutional
law
Responsibilities/roles of the state to its citizens
For citizens to be peaceful and progressive the state has to provide the following:
 providing health services like hospitals and clinics throughout the country
 establishing the police and defence force to maintain law and order in the country
 provide primary, secondary and tertiary education to develop human resources
 protect basic human rights and freedoms of citizens by promoting equality and
justice
 provide transport and telecommunication networks in both rural and urban areas
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 promotion of 5 national principles that contribute to kagisano (social harmony)

 create employment for citizens by setting up industries and other employment
creating institutions
The importance of the youth, ethnic minorities and women in promoting
participatory democracy and responsible citizenry.
a. Youth
- Participate in sports and cultural activities.
- Take part in general elections and national referendum.
- Stand for positions of responsibility such as being MPs and councilors.
-Attend kgotla meetings and contribute during discussions.
- Initiate development projects by forming associations aimed at raising the standard of
living.
- Fight for their rights in a peaceful manner and remind government to address issues
that affect them such as teenage pregnancy, HIV/AIDS and passion killings.
b. Women
The involvement of women in participatory democracy can be enhanced through the
following ways:
 Women should challenge for positions of responsibility especially those that had
been dominated by men such as MPs and councilors, chiefs etc.
 Advocate for their rights to eliminate gender inequality as exemplified by Unity
Dow who challenged the constitution over citizenship acquisition.
 Address social ills such as abuse and oppression by forming more pressure groups
such as Emang Basadi and Women Against Rape.
 Defend their societies and be quality leaders e.g. Lydia Nyati-Ramahobo who
advocates for the rights of Wayei.
c. Ethnic Minorities
These are groups that were not part of the ‘eight main tribes’ during the colonial period.
Ethnic minorities should enhance their participation by;
 Fighting for equal recognition of all groups e.g. ‘minority groups’ successfully
called for the cancellation of terms ‘minor’ and ‘major’ from the constitution.
 Emphasise equality before the law so that people can be treated equally regardless
of race, political opinion, origin e.g. representation in the house of chiefs.
 Eliminate ethnic rivalries brought about by colonialism and join hands for
collective development the country.

Ways of facilitating or promoting peace in a democratic country like Botswana.

a. Cultural Groups
These are groups that have been formed to fulfill the interests and aims of a particular
ethnic or cultural group .e.g. Mbungu Wa Kathimana (Hambukushu), Kamanakao
(Wayei), Society for Promotion of Ikalanga Language (Bakalanga). Such cultural
associations can achieve peace through the following ways:
 Organising cultural exchange festivals so that they can exchange talents and
cultural knowledge on stage e.g. Maitisong festival.
 Promotion of intermarriages across cultural groups as this practice can promote
good relations between cultural groups.
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 Organising seminars and conferences where cultural groups can come together to
discuss issues of concern and solve them peacefully.
 Educate people about the importance or respecting other people’s culture so as to
eliminate intolerance.
b. Ethnic Groups
Botswana is a multi-ethnic state. For peace to prevail these ethnic groups can be united in
the following ways:
 Bury differences brought by colonialism (e.g. differences between Bangwato and
Bakalanga ba-ka Nswazwi) and join hands to develop the country.
 Those in power should balance regional development so that no ethnic group can
feel discriminated against.
 Promote intermarriages to enhance social harmony between the groups
 Skilled personnel should also be spread evenly throughout the country so that all
ethnic groups can benefit.
 Education on tolerance and equality.
c. Political Groups
This refers to political parties and other organisations with political aims. These groups
can strive for peace through the following ways:
 Give people equal opportunities to vote and to stand for positions of
responsibility.
 Tolerance and acceptance of other people’s political opinions to avoid wars e.g.
wars between ZANU PF and MDC in Zimbabwe (Mugabe versus Tsvangirai).
 Promote justice and equality for all people.
 Having regular and fair elections across all regions.
d. Religious groups
These are groups such as churches and other religious institutions. They can achieve
peace and unity through the following;
 Promote tolerance of other religions. There are many religions in Botswana and
each religion deserves to be respected and appreciated to avoid religious wars like
those between Christians and Muslims in countries such as Nigeria and Pakistan.
 Give every person the right to worship any religion of choice.
 Equal recognition of all religious denominations.

Modern and traditional attributes of citizenship

Traditional attributes of citizenship are qualities or characteristics that could show a
person’s citizenship in the past. In the past citizenship could be shown by the following:
 Location (Ward): The ward to which a person belonged gave that person an
identity because each ward was associated with a particular group of people.
 Language: In the past people could easily identify each other through spoken
language. Each ethnic group has distinct dialects which may be used to
differentiate them from others e.g. the use of -tla by Bakgatla.
 Age-regiments (mephato): In the past when bogwera and bojale were practiced
graduates of a particular initiation were given a name which differed from those
of previous and upcoming graduates. Such names also differed from one ethnic
group to the other.
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 Communal land: This refers to land that belongs to all members of a particular
community or ethnic group. Having rights over a certain communal land could
also show citizenship.
 Dress: In the past some ethnic groups had their own style of clothing or attire
which differed from that of other ethnic groups e.g. Herero women wear long
dresses.
 Food: Different types of food could symbolise citizenship as some ethnic groups
had their own type of food e.g. Baherero (omaere) and Bakgatla (ting).
 Beliefs: Ethnic groups had different religions e.g. belief in Mwali is associated
with Bakalanga.
 Totem: A totem is an animal, plant or any object that has a spitual connection
with a particular ethnic group. Different ethnic groups have their unique totems
e.g. phuti (duiker) is a totem for Bangwato, kwena (crocodile) represents
Bakwena and tshwene (baboon) is a symbol for Bahurutshe.
Modern attributes of citizenship include national boundaries, passport, identity card,
national symbols (e.g. coat of arms, flag, and national anthem) and currency. Whereas
traditional attributes mainly showed citizenship at family and community level modern
attributes are more at national level. In modern days citizenship through location is
reflected through the use of national boundaries.

Global Identity
Global identity means identifying yourself as a citizen of the world and having the right
to travel and live in many countries and continents. Global citizenry is about belonging to
the world and paying respect to international laws and human rights through international
organisations such as the UN, Commonwealth and Red Cross. As global citizens we are
responsible for looking after our planet and safeguarding it for future generations.
Qualities of an individual who has a sound sense of global identity
 Respecting the rights of other citizens of the world.
 Participation and contribution to the community within which one lives from
family issues to global issues.
 Taking responsibility for ones action as it begins with the individual.
 Eliminating social injustices such as tribalism and racial discrimination
throughout the world.
 Tolerance and appreciation of people of different nationalities, ethnicity and
cultural backgrounds.
 Willingness to cooperate and work with people from other countries for the
benefit of the entire world e.g. working for organisations such as the Red Cross.
 Being compassionate to the less fortunate or disadvantaged members of society
throughout the world.

Impacts of globalisation on Batswana citizens

Globalisation is the process by which the ideas and activities of people in different
countries across the world become interconnected and interdependent. No society on
earth lives in isolation from others; even the richest countries are not entirely self-
sufficient. Due to globalization events that occur in one country can influence events in
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other countries e.g. political tensions in Zimbabwe have led to illegal immigrants in
Botswana.
Advantages of globalisation
Economic:
 Developed countries and international organisations such as International
Monetary and World Bank can offer loans and grants to developing countries like
Botswana.
 Removal of trade barriers between Botswana and other SADC member states e.g.
free movement of goods.
 It has made it possible for Botswana to have access to goods and services found in
other countries e.g. machinery, skilled personnel, medicine, food etc.
 It has resulted in an increase in foreign investments in Botswana as the investors
have information on Botswana’s economy e.g. there are many multinational
companies that operate in Botswana.
 Increase in the number of employed Batswana as more jobs are created as a result
of an increase in direct foreign investment.
Social:
 Countries can assist each other in times of troubles such as wars, famine and
natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes, tsunamis etc.
 Cultural enrichment due to interaction of many people from different cultural
backgrounds.
 Exchange of skilled personnel, ideas and information e.g. medical expertise.

Political:
 Results in adoption of democratic ideas and principles of good governance such
as respect for human rights as emphasised by international organisations such as
Amnesty International and the United Nations.
 Globalisation has increased and strengthened contacts and relationships between
countries, hence Botswana can rely on other countries for support when her
sovereignty and territorial integrity is under threat.
Negative Impacts of globalisation
Economic:
 Foreigners may compete for limited jobs with the local people. Most high paying
jobs are often occupied by foreigners especially in the private sector.
 Monopoly of trade and markets by rich countries and thus increasing inequalities
between rich and poor countries.
 Multi-national companies out-compete local companies and this consequently
leads to the collapse of local companies.
 Restrictions on trade by international organisations e.g. Botswana and other
countries may not be allowed to trade with countries that are blacklisted by
organisations such as Amnesty International.
 Influence by global economic forces e.g. global economic recession, fluctuating
market prices, devaluation of currency.
Social:
 Loss of culture due to increased interactions between Batswana and people from
different cultural backgrounds.
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 Contagious diseases may be brought into the country by foreigners because of the
free and quick movement of people between countries.
 Increased crime due to exchange of ideas by Botswana based criminals with other
foreign criminals. Foreigners may smuggle in prohibited substances such as
marijuana, mandrax and cocaine. There are now cases of well planned armed
robberies due to influx of fire-arms from neighboring countries.
 Brain-drain; Botswana often loses skilled personnel to more developed countries
such as Britain, USA and Canada.
 Influx of illegal immigrants especially from neighboring countries such as
Zimbabwe. Illegal immigrants are associated with many problems such as crimes
and prostitution. Repatriation of such immigrants also puts pressure on
government budget.
Political:
 Interference in the affairs of Botswana by other countries and international
organisations as they put pressure on the government to adopt policies followed
by developed countries. Some pressure organisations may interfere in domestic
issues e.g. the involvement of Amnesty International in the Marietta Bosch case.
 Botswana is compelled to take sides in global issues such as “the war on
terrorism”, which can ultimately make the country a target for the “terrorists”
 Exaggeration of issues by international organisations e.g. Survival International
gave wrong information to the world about the way Basarwa were treated in Old
Xade.

The importance of the UN Charter of Human Rights in promoting sound global

citizenry.
In 1948 the UN issued a declaration on human rights. These rights are regarded as the
foundation of freedom, justice and peace throughout the world. The charter describes all
the rights to which all human beings should be entitled and stresses that everyone should
be treated without discrimination of any kind such as race, colour, sex, language, religion,
political opinion etc. The charter guides countries on how they should handle citizens
throughout the world. Countries that abuse these rights are often sanctioned or blacklisted
by international organisations such as Amnesty International.
The role of international organisations in sustaining human life, dignity and peace
International Red Cross
 Provides services such as food, shelter, clothing and medicine. Similar services
can also be provided to victims of natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes
and volcanic eruptions.
 Encourages governments to treat people with respect and dignity especially
refugees and prisoners.
 Provides relief to people displaced due to factors such as natural disasters and
wars.
 Donates blood to people who need a supply of more blood.
Amnesty International
This organisation is concerned with fighting for human rights throughout the world. Its
aims include:
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 Ensuring that prisoners are treated justly, especially those jailed for political and
religious reasons.
 Persuading governments to end capital punishment and all forms of torture
 Making public the names of those countries that abuse human rights.
 Campaigns for transparency in elections.
 Campaigns against dictatorship and bad governance.
 Can blacklist a country i.e. it can influence other countries or international donors
not to trade with or assist a country that abuses human rights.
UN Peace-keeping Forces
These are soldiers from various UN member states that are assembled to carryout some
military assignments on countries affected by wars and other crises such as human rights
abuses. The role of these soldiers is to work on behalf of the UN to prevent more
conflicts or crises in some parts of the world. They can also be deployed to fight terrorist
groups that threaten world peace such as Al Qaeda. They have performed many peace-
keeping missions in countries such as Rwanda, Bosnia, Afghanistan and Somalia. They
can also do other activities such as:
 Fighting rebel or terrorist groups that refuse to comply with international laws.
 Implementing and monitoring ceasefires in areas affected by wars.
 Patrolling ceasefire zones between warring factions.
 Monitoring disarmament of local troops.
 Clearing landmines and other devices that are a threat to civilian lives.
 Creating a conducive environment for rebuilding infrastructure and political
institutions e.g. helping to ensure that elections are run freely and fairly.

Survival International
It is concerned with the protection of rights of nomadic groups whose survival is
threatened by development. This includes groups such as the Aborigines of Australia and
Basarwa of Southern Africa. In Botswana this organisation has succeeded in preventing
Basarwa from being forcibly removed from the Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR)
to New Xade.

Southern African Development Community (SADC)

This organisation of Southern African states was formed in 1980 and its headquarters are
in Gaborone. It was originally called Southern African Development Coordination
Conference (SADCC) and in 1992 it was restructured and renamed Southern African
Development Community (SADC). The main aims of SADC are to:
 Promote economic development of memberstates.
 Reduce economic dependence of memberstates on South Africa and other
external sources.
 Promote peace and security in the region.
 Encourages exchange of skilled personnel between memberstates.
 Free trade and building of infrastructure together.
 Unity of member-states to obtain foreign aid.
 Diplomatic roles in resolving wars or political crises in memberstates.
 Sending election observers in member-states to ensure free and fair elections.
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The European Union (EU)

This organisation is made up of European countries and its aims are:
 To promote greater economic and political integration in Europe.
 Provides development funds to developing countries such as Botswana and other
members of the Commonwealth organisation.
 The main agreement of the Lome Convention is that goods imported into EU
countries from ACP countries should not be taxed or charged import duty.
 The EU also provides assistance to ACP countries in areas such as forestry,
protection, tourism, education and mining.

Assessment of global crises

These are events or occurrences that are of concern to all people throughout the world.
These problems often force countries to forget about their differences and come together
to solve the crises collectively. Serious global crises include HIV/AIDS, Global
Warming, Terrorism and Desertification.
a. Global Warming
Global warming is of concern to the whole world because it has the following negative
effects:
 A rise in the earth’s temperature may lead to melting of Polar Regions (areas
covered with ice such as Antarctica).
 The melting of Polar Regions will flood rivers and raise the level of the sea.
 A rise in sea level will submerge or inundate settlements along the sea coasts.
 There will be climatic changes due to an imbalance in atmospheric gases.
 Habitats of plants and animals will be destroyed especially those that live in areas
covered with ice e.g. polar bears.
 Extinction of plants and animals species due to damaged ecosystems.
 Reduced crop and forest productivity due to altered composition of gases which
may affect processes such as photosynthesis.
b. HIV/AIDS
Negative impacts HIV/AIDS include the following:
 Loss of active and working population: In most cases the disease attacks people
aged between 18 and 55. This age group forms the core of the working population
and this consequently reduces the workforce
 Reduced productivity: The early and unexpected death leads to reduced
productivity and manpower at the workplace. A lot of time spent on looking for
medication and on sick leave has serious negative impacts on productivity.
 Increase in death rate: HIV/AIDS is the number one killer in the world. In
Botswana it has overtaken other fatal diseases and road accidents as the major
cause of deaths.
 Reduced life expectancy: High deaths also result in reduced life expectancy and
a high proportion of young and very old population which may need government
support. For example, Botswana’s life expectancy fell from 65.3 years in 1991 to
55.6 years in 2001.
 Pressure on government budget: A lot of money is used by government to buy
preventive medication such as ARV drugs and this consequently leads to reduced
investment in other economic sectors and ignorance of other fatal diseases
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 Loss of breadwinners: Some families may lose very important people leading to
their collapse. Loss of breadwinners may result in poverty and increased number
of orphans who mainly end up as street children.
 Stigma and discrimination: The family has to cope with the stigma of the virus
and victims might isolate themselves from major family and community
activities.
c. Terrorism
These are acts of violence usually carried out by small (at times large) groups of people
in order to achieve certain goals which may be religiously or politically motivated. Such
terrorist groups include Al Qaeda founded by Osama Bin Laden, Boko Haraam in Nigeria
and Al Shabaab in Somalia. Terrorists use a wide range of techniques such as planting
explosives, hijacking, kidnapping, biological weapons and cyber-terrorism.
Terrorism is a global crisis because of the following negative effects:
 It leads to loss of lives of innocent people as they are killed during bombings and
hijackings.
 Destruction of valuable property e.g. buildings, roads, bridges, airports etc.
 Separation of families as others are killed whilst some run away to seek refuge in
other countries.
 Spreads fear and panic as some people are unwilling to travel especially by air as
they fear that terrorists might hijack their planes. This disrupts business especially
the airline industry.
 Disruption of world trade or markets as countries supporting terrorists’ activities
may be sanctioned from international trade.
 Disruption of world peace and stability as terrorism may lead to exchange of fire
between governments and terrorists e.g. war on terror between the US led
coalition forces and Taliban regime in Afghanistan in 2001.
 High expenditure on security services so as to protect people from such acts of
violence.
 Pressure on a country’s budget as more money is used to reconstruct or
rehabilitate what has been destroyed by terrorists.
d. Desertification
This is the process by which deserts are formed. The rapid increase of human population
enhances desertification through overgrazing, over-cultivation and deforestation. Natural
disasters such as frequent droughts also have a helping hand in desertification.
Negative effects of desertification are:
 Extinction of plant species that are vital to both animals and people
 Loss of habitats of animals and disturbance of the ecosystem
 Loss of soil quality making it unsuitable for agricultural production
 Loss of trees reduces the amount of water vapour in the atmosphere and this alters
climate.
 Rise in temperature leading to global warming.
 Involuntary migrations which may lead to environmental refugees
 Loss of flat lands as gullies and dongas develop.
 Reduction in the level of underground water.
 Increased erosion leading to silting of rivers and dams.
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