History of Botswana facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

The story of Botswana is a long one. It includes ancient times, the rule of different tribes, and when it became a British protectorate. Today, it is the independent Republic of Botswana.

The first modern humans in Botswana were the San people. Farming started about 2,300 years ago. The first Bantu peoples arrived around 200 CE. The first Tswana people came about 200 years later. Over the next 1,000 years, the Tswana people split into many tribes. They moved around a lot, especially during a time called the Difaqane in the late 1700s. Europeans first visited in 1816. This led to Christianity spreading in the area.

In 1885, powerful Tswana chiefs asked the United Kingdom for help. They were worried about threats from German South West Africa and the Afrikaners. So, the British created the Bechuanaland Protectorate. The British divided the land into areas for each major chief to rule. This gave the chiefs more power. But the British did not control things directly very much at first. In the 1930s, the British government became more involved. Botswana helped the British during World War II. Many people fought as part of the African Auxiliary Pioneer Corps.

In the 1950s, there was a power struggle. It was between the Ngwato chief Seretse Khama and his regent Tshekedi Khama. Seretse married a white woman, Ruth Williams Khama. This led the British to ban him from the protectorate. He came back in 1956 with a lot of public support. Tribes then moved towards elected government as people wanted independence. A national law-making group was created in 1961. Political parties also started. Seretse became the leader of the Bechuanaland Democratic Party. The British supported this party to lead after independence. It won a lot of support in the first election in 1965. The Republic of Botswana became fully independent in 1966.

With strong support, Seretse and his party set up a liberal democracy. They started building important things like roads. At the time, Botswana was one of the world's poorest nations. Huge diamond deposits were found in 1969. This completely changed Botswana's economy. The Debswana mining company was created in 1978. Botswana then became the fastest growing economy in the world. The HIV/AIDS pandemic became a big problem in Botswana in the 1980s. In the 1990s, political groups started to form. This happened after a political issue called the Kgabo Commission. Political disagreements continued for decades. The ruling party split in 2010. Former president Ian Khama went into exile in 2021. This happened because of his former ally, Mokgweetsi Masisi.

Ancient History of Botswana
Bechuanaland Protectorate
Republic of Botswana
See also

Ancient History of Botswana

Early People and Farming

The first human-like creatures arrived in what is now Botswana over 186,000 years ago. They used tools from the Acheulean period. Not much is known about the Stone Age in southern Africa. The earliest modern humans to live here were the San people.

Farming and making pottery started about 2,300 years ago. People began raising animals about 2,000 to 2,200 years ago. Early crops included pearl millet, finger millet, and sorghum. They also grew Bambara groundnuts and cowpeas. The first animals raised were sheep, goats, and cattle. These ideas came from people moving from East Africa. Their children, who married the San people, became the Khoe people.

Bantu and Tswana Arrivals

The Kgalagadi people were the first Bantu people to settle in Botswana. They arrived around 200 CE. The first Tswana people arrived around 400 CE. These Bantu groups brought iron and copper tools. They settled near rivers and other water sources. Over time, the Tswana people formed separate tribes. Each tribe was called a morafe. A chief, called a kgosi, led each tribe. This system created a more organized government. Cattle became very important. Owning cattle showed a person's status in society. We don't know much about the early history of the Tswana people. This is because there is not much archaeological evidence left.

The Taukome people arrived in Botswana by the 600s. They had glass beads, which shows they traded with people near the Indian Ocean. This trade grew in the 900s. The Toutswe people became the main group in Botswana in the 1000s and 1100s. They became rich by owning many cattle. Mining for a shiny mineral called Specularite also became common then.

Kingdoms and Migrations

Near Botswana in the 1000s and 1100s were the people of Leopard's Kopje. They formed the Kingdom of Mapungubwe. This kingdom had influence over the whole region. Their power faded by the 1200s. Then, Great Zimbabwe became the main power. The gold trade was very important to their economy. After Great Zimbabwe fell in the 1400s, other states formed. The Kingdom of Butua, formed by the Kalanga people, was on the border of present-day Botswana and Zimbabwe.

Tswana people continued to move through Botswana in the following centuries. They were displaced by other groups from the south. Large groups of Kalanga and Sotho–Tswana people moved into Botswana in the 1400s and 1500s. By 1600, Tswana people lived throughout Botswana. Different Tswana tribes could separate and form their own groups. This was easy because cattle, their main wealth, could be moved easily. The first Tswana state was formed by the Ngwaketse people in the mid-1700s. Later, the Kwena people, the Ngwato people, and the Tawana people formed their own states.

The 1800s and European Contact

The Difaqane was a time of conflict and movement in southern Africa. It happened in the late 1700s and early 1800s. This caused Tswana tribes to spread out more. They settled mainly in the eastern part of Botswana, called the hardveld. The Kwena and Ngwaketse peoples moved from Transvaal to the sandveld.

European missionaries first arrived in Botswana in 1816. They were from the London Missionary Society. These groups tried to convert the dikgosi (chiefs) to Christianity. They also built missionary schools. British traders arrived in the 1830s. They traded with the dikgosi. Kgosi Sechele I of the Kwena people took control of British trade for his tribe.

The merafe (tribes) rebuilt their states in the 1840s. Each tribe had several towns and villages. Their government was based around the kgotla. This was a meeting place where the kgosi or a local leader listened to the concerns of men before making decisions. The first Kgatla people to settle in Botswana were the Mmanaana people. They moved from South Africa in the early 1800s. They settled in Moshupa and Thamaga.

In the 1800s, Tswana people used some unique economic ideas. They used credit and service contracts. They also had the mafisa system. This was when rich people loaned cattle to poor people in exchange for work. By the mid-1800s, they also had a concept of private property. Both married men and women had rights to land. Men usually herded cattle, while women grew crops. Sorghum was the most common crop. Land was plentiful, but droughts made farming difficult. European settlers nearby allowed Tswana tribes to join the global economy.

Sechele I asked for a British protectorate in 1853 to stop local conflicts. But he was refused. By the 1860s, more Batswana men traveled to work in South African mines. The discovery of the Tati Goldfields started the first European gold rush in Southern Africa in 1868. By the 1870s, all the major dikgosi were Christians. By the end of the decade, kgosi Khama III of the Ngwato people took control of British trade from the Kwena people.

Bechuanaland Protectorate

Becoming a Protectorate

In 1885, three chiefs went to London. They asked the British government to create a protectorate. They were worried about German South West Africa and the Afrikaners taking their land. They feared that if Britain didn't help, Germany might take over. This trip was important because it was the first time Tswana tribes acted as one group. This set a pattern for a future unified nation. The United Kingdom was also worried about Germany's growing influence. So, they agreed to form the Bechuanaland Protectorate. The British wanted to keep their influence over the Tswana tribes. This area connected southern and central Africa.

The land was split into tribal areas, ruled by the dikgosi, and crown land, controlled by the United Kingdom. The British recognized eight merafe when the protectorate was formed. The four largest tribes got their own reserves: the Kwena, Ngwaketse, Ngwato, and Tawana. Three smaller ones were also recognized: the Kgatla, Tlokwa, and Malete. An eighth, the Tshidi, also got a reserve that crossed the border into South Africa. People from non-Tswana groups could join Tswana society. But they did not get their own tribal reserves. Having tribal reserves changed Tswana governance. Before, merafe boundaries were less fixed. Now, with fixed territories, it was harder for Batswana to leave one morafe for another. The protectorate first covered the Ngwato area. In 1890, it was extended to the Chobe River. Other Tswana people lived south of the protectorate. They were later absorbed into South Africa.

The Kgafela people settled in Mochudi in 1887. This Kgatla group quickly became important. Their name became linked with the Kgatla tribe. British soldiers, led by Charles Warren, arrived in 1891. They formally set up the protectorate. A commissioner was appointed to lead it. The commissioner had wide powers. But he had to respect tribal laws. The capital was Vryburg, a city in South Africa. This meant colonial rulers did not live in the protectorate. They had little direct involvement. British rule was centered in South Africa. This made the Bechuanaland Protectorate economically dependent on South Africa.

The British government thought the Bechuanaland Protectorate was temporary. They expected it would soon join a British colony. To save money, they wanted the protectorate to be self-sufficient. So, the colonial government had very little direct control. The dikgosi benefited from this. They gained more power and wealth. They kept a lot of freedom. But British support meant they no longer needed the tribe's consent to rule. Tribal rule became more autocratic. This led to unfair treatment and discrimination against women and minority groups.

Early Years and Challenges

The British planned to eventually make the Bechuanaland Protectorate part of the Union of South Africa. After the protectorate was created, the UK talked with Cecil Rhodes about giving it to his British South Africa Company. In response, three powerful dikgosi—Khama III of the Ngwato, Sebele I of the Kwena, and Bathoen I of the Ngwaketse—traveled to the United Kingdom in 1895. They convinced the government not to make the deal. This showed that the dikgosi could work together. These three chiefs became important figures in Botswana's journey to independence. Also in 1895, the capital moved from Vryburg to another South African city, Mafeking.

When the United Kingdom formed the Pioneer Column to fight the Northern Ndebele people, Khama III of the Ngwato helped. He sent soldiers. The Kgatla tribe later fought in the Boer War alongside the British Army.

The economy of the Bechuanaland Protectorate stayed much the same as before British rule. The UK mainly used the protectorate as a source of workers. They offered good pay to Batswana who moved south to work in mines. Taxes were also introduced. A hut tax started in 1899. This was replaced by a poll tax in 1909. Colonial taxes in Bechuanaland were higher than in nearby colonies. These factors caused many people to move south. The dikgosi then allowed more power-sharing with citizens to encourage them to stay. By 1910, all merafe had adopted Christianity. Bechuanaland sent hundreds of soldiers to help the British Army during World War I. In 1920, the colonial government created the Native Advisory Council. This was an annual meeting of the dikgosi and other important people. It allowed the British government to hear from and manage the tribes as a group.

Sebele II became kgosi of the Kwena in 1918, after his father, Sechele II. Sechele II had disagreed with the main London Missionary Society. He allowed Anglicans and brought back old traditions like polygyny and rainmaking. Sebele II continued to challenge the London Missionary Society. This upset the British government. Among the Ngwato people, Sekgoma II was kgosi for three years until he died in 1926. His son, Seretse Khama, was a baby. So, Tshekedi Khama became regent. Tshekedi became known as a representative for all the Tswana tribes.

Growing British Influence

In the 1920s, kgosi Isang Pilane of the Kgatla people led Botswana's first big water project. He had sixteen boreholes drilled. Seven of them became good water sources. These became more common as the British government wanted to grow the protectorate's economy. By the 1930s, Isang Pilane and the Native Advisory Council made the boreholes private. This was because they were not well kept under shared ownership. A bad drought happened in the early 1930s. It killed over 60% of the protectorate's cattle.

The British government became more involved in ruling the protectorate starting in 1930. That year, they began giving direct money to the protectorate. Charles Rey was appointed Resident Commissioner. He was in charge of changing the economy to focus on cattle exports. There was a plan to develop mining and commercial farming. But the dikgosi resisted this.

Resident Commissioner Rey had problems with kgosi Sebele II. He sent Sebele II away in 1931. Sebele II was replaced by his younger brother, Kgari. The British government tried more changes in 1934. They wanted to limit the power of the dikgosi after Sebele II was removed. These changes required dikgosi to ask advice from councils. They also required the British government to see court records. Kgosi Bathoen II of Ngwaketse and regent Tshekedi Khama of Ngwato challenged these changes in court. The British court ruled against them. But the new policies were never fully put in place. A new resident commissioner, Charles Arden-Clarke, was appointed in 1936. He worked more closely with the dikgosi.

World War II and Batswana Soldiers

Fears of German attack grew before World War II. This was because Bechuanaland was in a key location between Britain's colonies. Eleven days before war was declared, the British government warned the protectorate to be ready. Military forces were organized. Four days after Britain declared war, Resident Commissioner Arden-Clarke met with the dikgosi. They promised full support for the war. The next day, the high commission announced emergency powers. This gave it total control over public life. But the dikgosi were told they would be in charge of most enforcement and keeping peace.

The first years of World War II had little effect on the people of Bechuanaland. Many only vaguely knew about the war. The colonial government staff shrank. Many white residents joined the British Army. Those who stayed focused on security plans. They worried if southern Africa became a war zone. Against the wishes of the dikgosi, the colonial government encouraged Batswana to join the South African Native Military Corps. About 700 Batswana men joined this group.

Keeping the Bechuanaland Protectorate was not a top priority for the UK during the Great Depression and World War II. The protectorate received no money from the UK during the war. The British Empire had less control over Bechuanaland than its other lands. British efforts to control wartime production there failed. The war greatly changed the protectorate's economy. It brought shortages, rationing, and higher prices. Making unfair profits and raising prices too much were common. The colonial government could not enforce price controls. They had to rely on informal agreements with traders. Taxes were raised. Projects from the Colonial Development Fund were cut. This was to make the protectorate financially independent. A law was passed in 1940 to tax cattle. This was the protectorate's main industry. But it met strong resistance from Batswana and the European Advisory Council. A war fund operated in Bechuanaland. The UK wanted donations to be voluntary. But dikgosi used their power to make their tribes donate. This was replaced by a levy in 1941. But this was less popular and hard to enforce.

Military recruitment started in Bechuanaland in 1941. About 5,500 men were trained and sent to war in six months. Another 5,000 Batswana men joined in 1942. In total, about 11,000 soldiers from Bechuanaland fought with the British Army. Over 10,000 of these served in the British Army's African Auxiliary Pioneer Corps. The dikgosi traditionally had the right to force men to join the army. They ignored the government's wish for voluntary service. Regent Tshekedi Khama of Ngwato became unpopular. He used military conscription to control people and silence critics. Men who wanted to avoid joining sometimes fled to South Africa. Others went to remote areas like the Okavango Delta swamps. Some dug holes when recruiters visited.

The dikgosi wanted more rights within the British Empire for their help in the war. They feared that a British defeat would make them subjects of Germany or South Africa. This was something they wanted to avoid. The war also helped bring back Tswana men who had gone to South Africa for mining jobs. The dikgosi wanted to end this practice. They felt military jobs could help. Some military pay was sent to soldiers' families. Limits on exports were lifted during the war. This brought more money into Bechuanaland.

Compared to other parts of the British Empire, people in Bechuanaland supported the war. Many Batswana felt loyal to the empire. Or they felt their interests matched Britain's. Some dikgosi, like Kgari Sechele II of the Kwena and Molefi Pilane of the Kgatla, joined the army themselves. They served as regimental sergeant majors. This was the highest rank for Batswana.

Road to Independence

After World War II, big social changes happened. The dikgosi were seen as less important. Many gave up their claims over tribal cattle. Other public resources, like land and labor, became private property. More education created a group of educated people. They were against the rule of the dikgosi. They started forming their own power centers in workers' groups. By 1946, only 2% of the people worked outside farming. The protectorate saw a big increase in births after the war. Life expectancy also increased. The colonial government started its first development project in the 1950s: a slaughterhouse. The British had planned to merge the protectorate into South Africa. But they stopped this plan after Apartheid began. Efforts started to plan for the protectorate's future.

When Seretse Khama grew up, regent Tshekedi Khama tried to keep power. Seretse had married a white woman, Ruth Williams Khama, while studying in the UK. This caused a scandal in the Ngwato royal family. At first, the public was against the marriage. But Tshekedi was unpopular, so people started supporting Seretse. The issue was discussed in the kgotla in 1949. Thousands of people rejected Tshekedi's rule. Tshekedi and his supporters fled to the Kwena tribe.

The British government was less accepting of Seretse's marriage. To please South Africa's Apartheid government, they banned the couple from the protectorate in 1950. This sparked a growing nationalist movement among Seretse's supporters. It fully emerged in 1952. While Seretse was away, the UK put the district commissioner in charge for four years. Then they appointed Rasebolai Kgamane, a supporter of Tshekedi, as regent.

The Ngwato tribe rebelled against Seretse's banishment. His supporters asked for his return. Riots broke out when they were refused. Seretse was finally allowed to return in 1956. During this time, power shifted away from the chiefs. It moved towards elected groups. Tshekedi and Seretse made peace when Seretse returned. Seretse became the unofficial leader of the Ngwato. But the UK forbade him from being the official kgosi. With British support, the Ngwato tribe created a tribal council. Both Seretse and Tshekedi were members. Other tribes then set up similar councils. These councils limited the power of the dikgosi. Some tension remained between the two men. Tshekedi wanted to keep tribal government and the chiefs' power. Seretse wanted a democracy and weaker chiefs. The amount of power given to the dikgosi became the biggest issue in the independence movement. This was especially true among the Ngwato people and the Khama family.

The Bechuanaland Protectorate Federal Party was the first political party. It was formed by Ngwato union leader Leetile Disang Raditladi in 1959. It was mostly made up of educated people. It wanted to unite the Tswana tribes. The party did not gain support and was short-lived. The next year, the Bechuanaland People's Party (BPP) was created. It was a more radical party. It was against traditional tribal government. It gained support among migrant workers. The BPP was like the African National Congress party in South Africa. It wanted immediate independence and to get rid of chiefdoms completely. The dikgosi and the British government feared the BPP would cause problems. They worried it would upset the Apartheid government in South Africa. So, they limited the BPP's ability to meet.

The protectorate's tribes together formed a legislative council in 1961. The Kwena people were under a regent, Neale Sechele, in 1963. This meant they had little political influence as the independence movement grew. The Bechuanaland Protectorate Development Plan 1963/1968 was written in 1963. It outlined the nation's independence.

Most people were not very active in politics. So, the United Kingdom became a main force for independence. The UK worried the BPP was too radical. They encouraged their preferred leader, Seretse Khama, to form a political party. He agreed with the BPP's anti-racist and republican ideas. But he disagreed with their strict political approach and support for socialism. Khama agreed to give up his claim as chief of the Ngwato people to be a politician. He formed the Bechuanaland Democratic Party (BDP) in 1962. The BDP became known as the "party of chiefs." It adopted ideas from pre-colonial tribal rule. The United Kingdom supported the BDP. They knew it would keep the colonial-era cattle trade going. By 1963, the Kgatla kgosi Linchwe was the only chief who opposed the BDP and had political influence. But the Kgatla people supported the BDP, so he stayed out of politics. A transition process began. The BDP was expected to rule an independent Botswana. The colonial government worked with BDP leaders to prepare them to run a nation.

A meeting was held in 1963 to create a new constitution. Problems within the BPP meant the BDP had the most influence. Tshekedi Khama had died by this time. So, Bathoen II became the leader of the group that wanted a federal system. He believed this would keep power with the dikgosi. The United Kingdom and Batswana politicians supported a single national government. This was because Botswana was too poor to divide its resources. Also, a lack of central power would make it weak against attacks from other nations. Federalization was not possible. So, a compromise was made. The dikgosi would form the Ntlo ya Dikgosi. This would be an advisory group within the Parliament of Botswana. The chiefs still opposed this. Led by Bathoen, the Ntlo ya Dikgosi voted against the new government. But they had no real political power to change things.

Gaborone was built in 1965 and became the new capital. Its location was chosen to be neutral between the main tribes. The constitution was put in place the same year. With this, the United Kingdom gave the protectorate self-governance. 1965 also saw the creation of the state-owned National Development Bank of Botswana.

The BDP ran a big campaign during the first general election. Led by Seretse Khama and Quett Masire, the party campaigned in almost every village. Unlike other politicians, Seretse Khama was popular across different tribes. The BDP was elected to lead the first government. After it formed, the Ntlo ya Dikgosi voted against the constitution in 1966. This led to a national campaign supporting the constitution. It gained enough support for the dikgosi to stop challenging it. The protectorate gained independence as the Republic of Botswana in 1966.

Republic of Botswana

Botswana at Independence

Independence for Botswana meant a liberal democracy. This brought elections, human rights, and a civil service. This allowed people to be promoted based on skill. It also created a government run by experts. Seretse Khama was elected as the first prime minister and president of Botswana. The country kept many of its tribal traditions after independence. This was because of the strong central government of the Tswana tribes. Also, the British government did not interfere much during colonial times. The way the nation made decisions, both before and after independence, was special. Many other African nations became authoritarian after independence. Instead of getting rid of the bokgosi (chiefdom), the new government included it in the legal system. The dikgosi kept judicial powers through the kgotla. But their decisions could be appealed in higher courts. Elected councils became the main local authorities. The tradition of respecting leaders, once given to the dikgosi, shifted to the presidency. The government stayed strong by hiring foreign experts. This was different from other new African countries that often sent foreign experts away.

The United Kingdom kept funding Botswana for its first five years. At independence, Botswana was very poor. It was poorer than most other African nations. It did not have many educated workers. Only 40 citizens had university degrees. There were no known natural resources to support the nation. Botswana relied on the Apartheid government in South Africa to connect with the world. Most of Botswana's workers were migrant workers in South Africa. Botswana also had conflicts with Rhodesia. This led to small military fights until 1978.

Limited British involvement meant little development had happened since colonization. Only 25% of the people could read and write. Only 10 kilometers of paved road existed. About 90% of the people lived in extreme poverty. Most people were cattle farmers or subsistence farmers (growing just enough food for themselves). As the nation became independent, a severe drought killed 30–50% of the cattle. Other nations had low expectations for Botswana. In Africa, it was sometimes seen as a South African Bantustan (a territory set aside for black inhabitants). This relationship with Apartheid also helped Botswana succeed. Botswana's leaders wanted to avoid the same fate as South Africa if their nation failed. And their diplomatic ties with Western countries, formed to prevent being taken over by South Africa, meant Botswana trusted Western powers and accepted their help.

Botswana's early leaders were mostly from ruling tribal families. There were also a few highly educated public servants. They had similar economic and political ideas. This meant the government stayed stable without political fights. Although Bathoen left his chief position to join politics, most other dikgosi accepted their reduced power. A lack of corruption made the government more legitimate. This earned the favor of Western allies. Unlike most new African nations, many leaders came from farming. This meant their interests matched the majority. This encouraged the new government to keep old policies that helped cattle farmers. The BDP's appeal to all tribes and the shared goal of independence also encouraged the new government to act for the majority. Small groups of white settlers stayed in the country. They were against its independence. Mineral rights were not a high priority at independence. But they later became very important for Botswana's development. The tribes transferred these rights to the central government in 1967.

Seretse Khama's Presidency

In 1967, diamonds were found in Botswana by the South African diamond company De Beers. Mining started soon after. The government helped renegotiate the Southern African Customs Union in 1969. This greatly improved its economic power in the region. It partnered with De Beers the same year for larger mining operations.

Khama and his government focused on building infrastructure and public services. This included paving roads. This came at the expense of commerce and production, which was limited to funding livestock. Public welfare programs were also started. The discovery of diamonds ensured these programs had enough money. These investments and careful government spending prevented the "Dutch disease" scenario. This problem crippled other resource-rich African countries. Education was expanded across the nation. The Tswana language was standardized alongside English, sometimes at the expense of other languages.

Quett Masire was Vice-President under Seretse Khama. He was also secretary general of the BDP. He controlled the nation's budget and spending. He did this by creating a series of National Development Plans. These plans needed approval from the National Assembly and the Economic Committee of the Cabinet. These plans remained a key part of government policy long after Khama and Masire.

The Water Act and the Tribal Land Act were passed in 1968. They created the Water Apportionment Board and twelve land boards. These groups managed water and land rights for the state. Before, tribes owned these rights. The Tribal Grazing Lands Policy was put in place in 1975 to stop overgrazing. But it did not work well.

The first election after independence happened in 1969. The BDP did slightly worse than in 1965. Vice-President Masire lost his seat. He had to take a specially elected seat. The Botswana National Front (BNF) was founded by Kenneth Koma. It became the main opposition party to the BDP. The BPP became less important as Botswana's politics developed.

The state-owned Botswana Development Corporation was founded in 1970. By 1973, diamonds made up 10% of Botswana's GDP (Gross Domestic Product). By the end of the 1970s, mining was the biggest industry. As the diamond economy grew, Botswana escaped poverty. It became seen as a success among post-colonial African nations. These developments made Botswana the fastest growing economy in the world. The rich and middle classes benefited the most. This increased wealth inequality. But it also meant taxes could be lowered. This gained support from farmers.

In the 1970s, more educated Batswana became influential in government. The BDP again won big in the 1974 election. Minimum wages were introduced the same year. The country started issuing its own currency, the Botswana pula, in 1976. Within ten years of independence, it was one of the wealthiest nations in the Third World. This economic change is called Botswana's "miracle." The Tribal Grazing Land Policy, which eventually failed, was put in place in 1975.

The military of Botswana was created in 1977. Before this, the Botswana Police Service handled national security. Not having a military meant Botswana was not affected by common problems in other African nations: military coups and corruption from military spending.

In its partnership with De Beers, the government of Botswana formed the Debswana mining company in 1978. This brought a lot of money to the state. Mining became the main industry in the country's economy for decades. Botswana became the world's fastest growing economy. Cattle farming decreased and lost its former importance.

Quett Masire's Presidency

After Seretse Khama died in 1980, Vice-President Quett Masire became president. The 1980s saw the start of HIV/AIDS in Botswana. It became one of the most affected countries. By 1997, average life expectancy dropped from 67 to 50 years. During the 1980s, South Africa started military attacks into Botswana. They were looking for South African rebels. Because of civilian deaths, Botswana's government increased military spending. A severe drought affected Botswana from 1982 to 1987. The government had to provide food help for about 65% of rural Batswana. In the mid-1980s, the diamond industry reached its peak. It made up 53% of the national GDP. Strong opposition to the BDP-controlled government first appeared in the 1980s. Opposition parties started winning local elections. Interest groups formed. Five major anti-BDP newspapers began publishing. The government responded to a growing labor movement. They passed strict rules on unions in 1983. Free secondary education was established in 1989.

The Kgabo Commission was held in 1991. It looked into government land boards. It found that Vice-President Peter Mmusi and BDP Secretary General Daniel Kwelagobe had done unethical things. Both were also members of the Cabinet of Botswana. Facing public anger, both resigned. This created two opposing groups within the party. One was led by the two former cabinet members (the Big Two). The other was led by their opponents (the Big Five). Masire chose Festus Mogae as the new vice-president. This was because he was not part of either group. The scandal and the split in the BDP helped the Botswana National Front (BNF) become a major opposition party after the 1994 general election. With more people moving to cities, the BDP's rural support base shrank. Opposition parties gained a significant number of seats in the National Assembly. After Mmusi's death, Kwelagobe joined Ponatshego Kedikilwe. They formed the Barata-Phathi group of the BDP. The Big Five became the A-Team group.

Several government and election changes happened in Masire's last years as president. Election supervision was given to an independent body. The voting age was lowered from 21 to 18. Postal voting was introduced. Policies were put in place to protect labour rights and promote gender equality. Masire wanted to create a stable way for the next president to take office. He wanted his chosen successor, Vice-President Mogae, to become president. So, he worked with lawyer Parks Tafa to write a change to the constitution. This change made presidential succession automatic. It also set term limits for the presidency. He then pushed the change through on his own. To improve the nation's economy, a system of tripartism was started. This brought together the government, private businesses, and labor representatives.

Festus Mogae's Presidency

Masire stepped down as president on April 1, 1998. Vice-President Festus Mogae took over. Mogae made a controversial decision. He appointed Ian Khama, the army commander and son of Seretse Khama, as the next vice-president. He forced this choice through by threatening to dissolve parliament. Mogae and Khama were seen as major figures in the A-Team, even though they were officially neutral.

In 1998, the BNF opposition party split again. It divided into two groups: conservatives with socialist beliefs and progressives with social democratic beliefs. Violence at the party's meeting led progressives to form their own party, the Botswana Congress Party. This became the main opposition party until they lost most seats in the 1999 election. This split in the opposition, along with the reforms of previous years, helped the BDP regain some seats it lost in 1994.

In the 2000s, Botswana invested a lot in developing an air force. Mogae had one of the government's main critics, Kenneth Good, deported in February 2005.

Ian Khama's Presidency

Ian Khama became president on April 1, 2008, after Mogae's term ended. When the party chose its leaders in 2009, Khama appointed many A-Team figures to party committees. This happened even though the Barata-Phathi group won the party's meeting. When the party's secretary general Gomolemo Motswaledi consulted lawyers about Khama's actions, Khama suspended him from the committee. After going to court, it was found that the sitting president is protected from legal action. Khama then expelled Motswaledi from the BDP entirely. In early 2010, Khama suspended and then expelled several other members of the Barata-Phathi group from the BDP. This led to the BDP's first major split in March. The Barata-Phathi group left the party to form the Botswana Movement of Democracy.

After a steady decline, Botswana's diamond industry stabilized. It made up about 39% of the GDP in 2009. The Botswana Federation of Public Sector Unions (BOFEPUSU) led a two-month strike in 2011. This was the first time civil servants went on strike. They demanded a 16% pay raise. The government responded by removing thousands of employees from their jobs. These removals were overseen by Mokgweetsi Masisi, the Minister for Presidential Affairs. To oppose the government, BOFEPUSU helped major opposition parties merge. They formed the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC). The BDP kept its majority in the legislature after the next election. But it did so with only a plurality of the popular vote. This was the first time the BDP did not win a majority of votes. Ian Khama then appointed Masisi as his vice-president. According to Mogae, this was done with the understanding that Masisi would appoint Tshekedi Khama II as vice-president after becoming president himself.

Botsalo Ntuane was elected Secretary General of the BDP in 2015. He ran on a platform of fighting corruption and changing elections. This challenged the BDP's long-standing power. Ntuane found a political rival in Masisi.

Mokgweetsi Masisi's Presidency

Masisi and Ian Khama had a disagreement after Masisi became president. Ian Khama tried to get Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi to run against Masisi in the BDP. When that failed, he started his own party, the Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF). The 2019 general election had issues with government pressure and sometimes raids against opposition figures. The UDC challenged the election results, but the challenge was not successful.

Like most nations, Botswana saw a big economic decline during the COVID-19 pandemic. The country was in lockdown for much of 2020 and 2021. Some negative feelings towards the Indian community grew. This was because the Indian community in Botswana was relatively wealthy.

Ian Khama went to South Africa in November 2021. The government of Botswana later accused him of illegally owning weapons.