Who runs local government in Botswana?
Botswana has 16 elected local councils (10 rural district councils and 6 town and city councils) under the Local Government Act 2012, working alongside centrally appointed district commissioners. Traditional leaders (dikgosi) are woven into the state: they run the kgotla, hold customary courts and are paid by government, and a constitutional House of Chiefs, Ntlo ya Dikgosi, advises Parliament. Since 1968, tribal land has been allocated by land boards, not by chiefs.
Republic of Botswana · Unitary parliamentary republic (executive president elected by the National Assembly) · Southern Africa
The levels of government below the nation
| Level | How it is chosen | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| District (rural) councils (10) and urban councils (6: 2 city, 4 town) | Councillors elected by first-past-the-post in wards at the same time as national elections, plus some councillors nominated by the minister; council elects its chairperson or mayor | Primary schools infrastructure, clinics and public health, waste, local roads, social welfare. |
| Sub-districts (23) | Administrative parts of rural districts, overseen by the district council | Bring some council services closer to villages in very large districts. |
| District administration | District commissioner appointed by central government (Office of the President) | Coordinates national government work and development planning in each district. |
| Land boards (12 main, 41 subordinate) | Statutory bodies set up by central government | Allocate tribal (communal) land, approve building plans and settle boundaries under the Tribal Land Act. |
Three questions about local power in Botswana
Are local leaders elected?
Local councillors are elected in wards; some extra councillors are nominated. Dikgosi are not elected by the public: most inherit their role by custom, and some members of Ntlo ya Dikgosi are selected by fellow chiefs or appointed by the President.
Which laws set up local government?
Councils, land boards, dikgosi and Ntlo ya Dikgosi are all formal (Constitution and statute). The kgotla is both a customary institution and an officially recognised meeting and court.
Who are local leaders accountable to?
Councillors face voters every five years. District commissioners answer to central government. Dikgosi answer to the community through the kgotla and to the ministry, which oversees and pays them; customary court decisions can be appealed to the formal courts.
Traditional and customary authority
Each village or tribal area has a kgosi (chief) and lesser dikgosana (headmen). Their roles are set out in the Bogosi Act and the Constitution. They chair the kgotla, hear cases in customary courts and act as a channel between government and villagers. Most senior dikgosi are recognised according to the custom of their tribe; government recognises and pays them and can remove them in some circumstances. Ntlo ya Dikgosi has 33–35 members: 12 dikgosi from named tribal areas, 5 members appointed by the President, and up to 20 selected by regional electoral colleges of dikgosana. Members serve five years and must not take part in party politics. Any bill that affects chiefs, customary courts, customary law or tribal property must be sent to Ntlo ya Dikgosi for 30 days before it passes, but the House cannot block it.
Community and neighbourhood power
The kgotla, a public meeting place and assembly in each village, is where people hear about government plans, raise complaints and see disputes settled. Village Development Committees and ward development committees, set up under the Local Government Act 2012, plan small local projects and link communities to the district council.
Points to know
- Ntlo ya Dikgosi is advisory: it must be consulted on customary matters but cannot veto laws.
- Chiefs lost the power to hand out land in 1968, when land boards took over tribal land allocation.
- Central District alone held about 28% of the population in the 2011 census and covers over 142,000 km².
- After the 2014 elections there were 490 elected and 119 nominated councillors, so nominated members are a sizeable minority.
Local terms
- Kgosi (plural dikgosi)
- A traditional leader or chief.
- Kgotla
- A village assembly and meeting place where the kgosi consults people and hears customary cases.
- Ntlo ya Dikgosi
- The House of Chiefs: an advisory chamber of Parliament made up of chiefs.
Sources
- Constitution of Botswana 1966 (rev. 2016), Constitute Project, checked 14 October 2026
- Country profile: Botswana (SNG-WOFI, 2022 edition), OECD–UCLG World Observatory on Subnational Government Finance and Investment (SNG-WOFI), checked 14 October 2026
- The local government system in Botswana: country profile 2017–18, Commonwealth Local Government Forum, checked 14 October 2026
- Parliament of Botswana (official site), Parliament of Botswana, checked 14 October 2026
See also: Botswana's official statistics and leaders · the 10 levels of power.