Human rights in Botswana


Human rights in Botswana are protected under the constitution. The 2009 Human Rights Report by the United States Department of State noted that in general the government of Botswana has respected the rights of its citizens.

Constitution

The constitution of Botswana addresses human rights principles such as freedom of speech, Freedom of assembly and the right to life.

Issues

Freedom of speech and press

The constitution addresses the notion of freedom of speech and this is generally respected by the government.

Death penalty

The High Court in Johannesburg, South Africa has described Botswana as a "pariah state not synchronized with the majority of African countries that have either abandoned or are refusing to implement the death penalty". Thirty-two people were hanged in Botswana between independence in 1966 and 1998 and a further six were executed between 2001 and 2006.

Indigenous people

Many of the indigenous San people have been forcibly relocated from their land onto reservations. To make them relocate, they were denied from accessing water from their land and faced arrest if they hunted, which was their primary source of food. Their lands lie in the middle of the world’s richest diamond field. Officially, the government denies that there is any link to mining and claims the relocation is to preserve the wildlife and ecosystem, even though the San people have lived sustainably on the land for millennia. On the reservations, they struggle to find employment and alcoholism is rampant.

Historical situation

The following chart shows Botswana's ratings since 1972 in the Freedom in the World reports, published annually by Freedom House. A rating of 1 is "free"; 7, "not free".
YearPolitical RightsCivil LibertiesStatusPresident
197234Partly FreeSeretse Khama
197323FreeSeretse Khama
197423FreeSeretse Khama
197523FreeSeretse Khama
197623FreeSeretse Khama
197723FreeSeretse Khama
197823FreeSeretse Khama
197922FreeSeretse Khama
198023FreeSeretse Khama
198123FreeQuett Masire
198223FreeQuett Masire
198323FreeQuett Masire
198423FreeQuett Masire
198523FreeQuett Masire
198623FreeQuett Masire
198723FreeQuett Masire
198823FreeQuett Masire
198912FreeQuett Masire
199012FreeQuett Masire
199112FreeQuett Masire
199212FreeQuett Masire
199323FreeQuett Masire
199423FreeQuett Masire
199522FreeQuett Masire
199622FreeQuett Masire
199722FreeQuett Masire
199822FreeQuett Masire
199922FreeFestus Mogae
200022FreeFestus Mogae
200122FreeFestus Mogae
200222FreeFestus Mogae
200322FreeFestus Mogae
200422FreeFestus Mogae
200522FreeFestus Mogae
200622FreeFestus Mogae
200722FreeFestus Mogae
200822FreeFestus Mogae
200932FreeIan Khama
201032FreeIan Khama
201132FreeIan Khama
201232FreeIan Khama
201332FreeIan Khama
201432FreeIan Khama

International treaties

Botswana's stances on international human rights treaties are as follows:
TreatyOrganizationIntroducedSignedRatified
Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of GenocideUnited Nations1948--
International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial DiscriminationUnited Nations1966-1974
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural RightsUnited Nations1966--
International Covenant on Civil and Political RightsUnited Nations196620002000
First Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political RightsUnited Nations1966--
Convention on the Non-Applicability of Statutory Limitations to War Crimes and Crimes Against HumanityUnited Nations1968--
International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of ApartheidUnited Nations1973--
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against WomenUnited Nations1979-1996
Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or PunishmentUnited Nations198420002000
Convention on the Rights of the ChildUnited Nations1989-1995
Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, aiming at the abolition of the death penaltyUnited Nations1989--
International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their FamiliesUnited Nations1990--
Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against WomenUnited Nations1999-2007
Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed ConflictUnited Nations200020032004
Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child PornographyUnited Nations2000-2003
Convention on the Rights of Persons with DisabilitiesUnited Nations2006--
Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with DisabilitiesUnited Nations2006--
International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced DisappearanceUnited Nations2006--
Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural RightsUnited Nations2008--
Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on a Communications ProcedureUnited Nations2011--