While President Mokgweetsi Masisi and his government have reiterated their hatred for corruption multiple times, Batswana are not convinced. According to a recent survey, Batswana mistrust the President’s keepers and believe them to be corrupt.

More than three-fourths of Batswana believe that at least some officials in the President’s office are involved in corruption, a recent Afrobarometer survey indicates.

Despite Botswana’s standing as one of the least corrupt countries in Africa, citizens’ perceptions of corruption in the President’s office are at their highest level over the last decade. According to the survey, the view that the President and his officials are involved in corruption is especially common amongst men, urban dwellers, youth and the more educated.

“Almost eight in 10 Batswana (79%) say that at least ‘some’ officials in the President’s office are corrupt, including fully half (50%) who believe that ‘most’ or ‘all’ of them are involved in corruption.

Only six percent see no corruption in the presidency,” reads a news release from Afrobarometer. The perception that at least ‘some’ officials in the President’s office are corrupt is more widespread amongst younger citizens (up to 87% of 26-35-year-olds), more educated respondents

(89% of those with post-secondary qualifications),

84% of men against 74% of women and urban residents (83%) than amongst their various counterparts. According to Afrobarometer, the perception that “some,” “most,” or “all” officials in the President’s office are involved in corruption has increased by 18 percentage points since 2012 when it was at 61%.

In 2014, 70% believed Khama’s presidency was corrupt, in 2017, 66% saw Khama’s administration as corrupt, while in 2019, 72% saw Masisi’s administration as corrupt.

Afrobarometer is a pan-African, non-partisan survey research network that provides data on African experiences and evaluations of democracy, governance and quality of life. Eight survey rounds in up to 39 countries have been completed since 1999. Round 9 surveys (2021-2022) are currently underway.

Afrobarometer’s national partners conduct face-to-face interviews in the language of the respondent’s choice. The Afrobarometer team in Botswana, led by Star Awards, interviewed a nationally representative sample of 1,200 adult Batswana in July-August 2022.

A sample of this size yields country-level results with a margin of error of +/- three percentage points at a 95% confidence level. Previous surveys were

conducted in Botswana in 1999, 2003, 2005, 2008, 2012, 2014, 2017 and

2019.