After 10 years in office, Seretse Khama Ian Khama, the President of Botswana will today handover power to his Vice President, former school teacher and ruling party loyalist – Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi. But what will change in a country that has known only one ruling party for over 50 years? reGina Jane Jere reports

Not much can be tapped from diamond-rich Botswana in terms of its political evolution. The country has been ruled by one party – the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) the since independence in 1966. It has held 11 general elections since then all of which the BDP has won, with all the 4 presidents so far – including Khama (and his father – the founding President Sir Seretse Khama) being from the long-ruling party.

Khama, will today (31st March) step down as his mandated second term comes to an end, handing over a country that has for decades been hailed as an example of sound and progressive economic management and development. And despite having been ruled by a single party for over 50 years, Botswana is praised as a yardstick for Africa’s political democracy and cohesion, although the country’s fledgling opposition will beg to differ.

In the last election (2014) the new Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), a three-party opposition coalition did not do badly notching more seats in parliament than the opposition had ever done before.

The wins gave the opposition more confidence and zeal; amid growing malaise against the 52-year BDP rule among voters more so the youth and those in urban areas although BDP enjoys popular support in rural areas.

And as such, as Khama hands over to Masisi (who at 55 is only 3 years older than his party and being inaugurated tomorrow 1st April), there is some growing optimism that he could face a tougher challenge when he leads the party into the general election in 18 month’s time – which however, the BDP is excepted to still win.

But with some critics labelling him a political novice, with a lot to learn and do, in if he is to maintain the BDP’s dominance, Masisi’s initial grip can be viewed as weak. His ascendance to the vice presidency in 2014, was not without controversy either, with some local press reports even suggesting that Masisi himself was taken by surprise at his VP appointment.

He had only joined politics from serving in UNICEF in 2003, and only won his first parliamentary seat in 2009. His first ministerial position was Minister for Presidential Affairs and Public administration in 2011. In 2014 he became both Vice President and Minister of Minister of Education and Skills Development, concurrently. Last year, Chancellor of the University of Botswana was added to Masisi’s positions, following the death of former President Quett Masire, who was the Chancellor.

And in Botswana politics, his rise to such a high positions as a newbie, more so as Vice President so soon, set political tongues wagging. What more now that he is President.

“Masisi was new in the party and there were people before him in terms of their seniority. What was obvious to everyone was not followed as Khama chose to appoint Masisi as a big surprise,” wrote the local Mmegi newspaper.

But Masisi does have weighty political blood running in his veins. He is the son of Edison Setlhomo Masisi– one of Botswana’s post-independence stalwarts’ who served as a Member of Parliament in the BDP from 1966 to 1999, as well as several diplomatic and ministerial positions, including as Foreign Affairs between 1966-1969. Masisi senior also had a very close relationship with Ian Khama’s father – Sir Seretse the founding president.

It could be said hence, that Khama is handing over to someone he knows well. At one point in Masisi’s nascent political career, Ian Khama even mandated him (when he was a newly appointed Minister for Presidential Affairs) to run – what Mmegi called Khama’s “pet projects” the Poverty Eradication and the Presidential Housing Appeal.

But as Masisi takes over the presidency for the next 18 months – and more likely beyond, he inherits arguably, a stable country both economically and politically.

Despite recent knocks to its economy and a rise in unemployment attributed to dwindling diamond reserves and prices – heightening calls for economic diversification – Botswana still remains one of Africa’s fastest growing economies which has recorded an average 5% per annum economic growth rate continuously in the past 10 years.

But, according to a recent World Bank report, Botswana’s dependency on commodities renders the country vulnerable to international market fluctuations. The prolonged uncertainty of global markets and slow pace of economic recovery in advanced countries both continue to act as a drag on Botswana’s economic outlook, explains the report which also decried that despite Botswana’s economic growth, the country faces high levels of poverty and inequality, especially in rural areas and in the southern part of the country

However, gains are expected for the medium-term, with a real GDP growth of up to 4.8 percent by 2019 and poverty is projected to decline by 0.7 percentage point to reach 10.6 percent of the population by 2019.

When he took over from the Mo Ibrahim Leadership Prize winner, Festus Mogae in 2008, Khama rode on a highly propounded mantra he called the four “Ds” – Democracy, Development, Dignity and Discipline. To some, more so to the outside world, Khama delivered and Botswana remains an example of stability Africa should pick a leaf or three from.

As to what he will do next? It is early days. Khama, whose secretive personal lifestyle was fodder for gossip, is however an avid conservationist, a trained pilot and most of all a Paramount chief of the influential Bangwato tribe. His future options are therefore broad, not forgetting his outspokenness against overstaying African leaders and bad leadership could be a civic journey he could wish to follow up on as a civilian.

Khama is on record stating : “We cannot bask in past glory forever as has been the tendency. We need to think of the coming decades and about the prosperity and welfare of future generations.” Will Masisi heed these words from his predecessor?</s>Botswana’s president Ian Khama has officially stepped down. The retired army general exited on Saturday handing the diamond-rich country to vice-president, Mokgweetsi Masisi.

Khama, a 65-year old bachelor, is known as a straight talker having publicly criticised leaders including US President Donald Trump for an alleged slur against African countries and former Zimbabwe’s president Robert Mugabe as well DRC’s Joseph Kabila for overstaying their welcome.

55 year-old Masisi inherits a country that has for decades been heralded as a beacon of African democracy and sound economic management but faces a huge task of reducing the country’s dependence on diamonds.

Masisi, a trained teacher who has also worked for the United Nations Children’s Fund as an education project officer for eight years until 2003, was elected lawmaker in 2009.

He served in the president’s office as a minister of public affairs from 2011 until 2014 when Khama named him minister of education, a post he held until appointed Vice President last year.

He becomes only the third leader to take charge of the southern African nation outside the Khama political dynasty. The dynasty dominated national politics since independence from Britain in 1966.

Botswana law restricts the president to serving two five-year terms, and provides for the vice president to automatically fill the post should it become vacant.

The National Assembly will elect a new president after elections scheduled for October 2019.</s>Susan NJANJI, Oarabile MOSIKARE –

 President Ian Khama of Botswana this week wrapped up a national “farewell tour” before he stands down today in a power transfer designed to stress his statesmanship and the country’s stability.

 Khama has visited all of Botswana’s 57 constituencies since December, bidding a long goodbye to a population of just 2.2 million after serving the constitutional maximum of 10 years in office.

 He will be succeeded by Vice President Mokgweetsi Masisi, a full 18 months before elections. Khama’s two terms in power have been defined by his country’s rapid development thanks to lucrative diamond and beef exports and by a reputation for good governance.

 He has also become renowned for straight talking — breaking with diplomatic convention to criticise leaders including US President Donald Trump and then-president Robert Mugabe in neighbouring Zimbabwe.

 On Tuesday, his tour finished in his ancestral village of Serowe in the east of the country, with a day of songs, poems, gifts, ululation and pleading for him to remain in office. Thousands of jubilant villagers dressed in blue, white and black, gathered in a kgotla, a traditional courtyard, to hear Khama speak.

 “I was a soldier, I didn’t have interest to join politics, I had future plans, away from politics,” he told the crowd, adding that his predecessor Festus Mogae had to persuade him to take over in 2008.

 Khama, 65, has cultivated a down-to-earth image — despite his father Seretse Khama serving from 1966 to 1980 as Botswana’s first president after independence from Britain.

 Many elderly female villagers wore blue dresses printed with portraits of Khama’s father, and some used cow bones as percussion instruments as they stood up to sing and dance.

 Khama was showered with gifts including a 4×4 truck, 143 cows, hundreds of chickens, over 415,000 pula ($44,000), and a fully-equipped luxury caravan that his brother Tshekedi dubbed a “mobile state house”.

 The avid conservationist also received a framed picture of a rhino. Khama, a former pilot and military chief, demonstrated his outspoken streak when he recently accused Trump of promoting policies that encourage poaching, and summoning the US envoy over Trump’s alleged slur against African countries in January.

 The Botswana leader’s on-schedule departure has made a public display of obeying the constitutional term limit. — AFP</s>Steps (CURRENCY:STEPS) traded up 0.7% against the U.S. dollar during the twenty-four hour period ending at 21:00 PM Eastern on March 31st. In the last seven days, Steps has traded down 24.9% against the U.S. dollar. Steps has a total market cap of $32,639.00 and approximately $0.00 worth of Steps was traded on exchanges in the last day. One Steps coin can now be purchased for approximately $0.0018 or 0.00000025 BTC on popular cryptocurrency exchanges.

Here is how similar cryptocurrencies have performed in the last day:
• Vcash (XVC) traded flat against the dollar and now trades at $0.34 or 0.00004153 BTC.
• Zeitcoin (ZEIT) traded 0.3% lower against the dollar and now trades at $0.0001 or 0.00000001 BTC.
• MACRON (MCRN) traded up 60.8% against the dollar and now trades at $0.0017 or 0.00000024 BTC.
• GAIA (GAIA) traded up 8.6% against the dollar and now trades at $0.0187 or 0.00000268 BTC.
• Bitcurrency (BTCR) traded 0.1% higher against the dollar and now trades at $0.0022 or 0.00000031 BTC.
• PureVidz (VIDZ) traded 0.5% lower against the dollar and now trades at $0.0028 or 0.00000040 BTC.
• DROXNE (DRXNE) traded up 1.9% against the dollar and now trades at $0.0040 or 0.00000057 BTC.
• Ride My Car (RIDE) traded 17.3% lower against the dollar and now trades at $0.0003 or 0.00000005 BTC.
• LetItRide (LIR) traded 10.1% higher against the dollar and now trades at $0.0008 or 0.00000011 BTC.
• Avoncoin (ACN) traded 16.6% lower against the dollar and now trades at $0.0003 or 0.00000005 BTC.

Steps (CRYPTO:STEPS) is a proof-of-stake (PoS) coin that uses the

 Proof of Stake hashing algorithm. It launched on September 16th, 2015. Steps’ total supply is 18,625,017 coins. Steps’ official Twitter account is @AltcoinSteps.

Steps can be purchased on these cryptocurrency exchanges: YoBit. It is not presently possible to buy Steps directly using U.S. dollars. Investors seeking to trade Steps must first buy Ethereum or Bitcoin using an exchange that deals in U.S. dollars such as Coinbase, Gemini or GDAX. Investors can then use their newly-acquired Ethereum or Bitcoin to buy Steps using one of the exchanges listed above.

Receive News & Updates for Steps Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and updates for Steps and related cryptocurrencies with MarketBeat.com's FREE CryptoBeat newsletter.
Botswanan President Ian Khama steps down and hands power over to Vice President Mokgweetsi Masisi.