08 Jul 2025

The office of the Leader of Opposition is an integral part of any democratic dispensation, and it should be given space to operate and provide its oversight role.

The Speaker of the National Assembly, Mr Dithapelo Keorapetse said this on July 8 during a courtesy call by a delegation from the Malawi Parliament, led by the Malawi Leader of Opposition Dr George Chaponda.

Mr Keorapetse said he hoped that during the country's transformation journey, more would be done to empower the office of the Leader of Opposition and facilitate it effectively.

He said this could entail benchmarking from other advanced democracies in the region and elsewhere, adding that in countries such as Malawi and Namibia, the office was allocated its own budget.

He said the Leader of Opposition was central to parliament’s provision of an effective oversight role, further highlighting that it was crucial therefore that the offices of opposition leaders were resourced and empowered for their own mandate as was the case in developed democracies.

“When it comes to the office of the opposition, we are not on par with the developed world,” he said, adding that lack of access to information and resources were some of the office’s hindrances.

He also said that opposition leaders in most African countries faced challenges such as threats, detention, and harassment by the ruling elite.

“It is not easy to be a Leader of Opposition in an African country," said Mr Keorapetse, himself once a Leader of Opposition.

He did however, say that Botswana had not had instances where an opposition leader was arrested despite the country's democratic deficiencies, adding that it was only during the previous administration that the Leader of Opposition was harassed.

On other issues, he said the country faced challenges such as a high unemployment rate, low representation of women in parliament, and the need to strengthen democracy through creating or reinforcing existing oversight institutions.

The Malawi  Leader of Opposition Dr Chaponda, said the delegation was in the country to learn and share best practices in order to enhance the office of the Leader of the Opposition in Malawi.

Dr Chaponda said the office contributed to public transparency and governance by holding government to account, observing that in Botswana the Leader of Opposition enjoys more privileges.

He said the delegation would, among other things, seek to gain understanding on the structure of the office and appreciate its regulatory tools, as well as gain insight on its resource mobilisation.

Dr Chaponda said they were also interested how the Leaders of Opposition contribute to public transparency.

Also, he said it was unfortunate that the Leader of Opposition was often viewed as a threat to democracy, when in fact he served to promote and safeguard it.

The Malawi delegation’s visit is aimed at fostering cross-border collaboration and mutual learning between the two countries, focusing on enhancing democratic governance, institutional transparency, and effective parliamentary oversight.

The delegation, hosted by the Leader of Opposition under the Botswana Parliament, is in the country from July 7 to 12. ENDS