Why Does Botswana’s Democracy Work So Well?

In the village of Mosi (“Smoke” in English), a community of about 500 people in southern Botswana, the meeting began early in the afternoon.

会议于下午早些时候在博茨瓦纳南部的一个约有 500 人的社区莫西（英语为“Smoke”）村开始。

“We are small, but that doesn’t matter,” one resident said of the 56 people in attendance at the kgotla, a word that describes both the meeting and the hut-style building in which it takes place.

“我们规模虽小，但这并不重要，”一位居民在谈到出席 kgotla 会议的 56 人时说道，这个词既描述了这次会议，也描述了召开会议的小屋式建筑。

The village chief, secretary, and a local pastor sat at the front of the unsealed hut behind a simple table adorned with a Bible, a rulebook, and bottles of Coca-Cola and Fanta.

村长、书记和当地牧师坐在未密封的小屋前部，后面是一张简单的桌子，桌子上摆着一本《圣经》、一本规则手册、几瓶可口可乐和芬达。

Women, young adults, and children sat straight across from the front table in the center.

妇女、年轻人和儿童坐在中央前桌的对面。

Older men and visitors (including me and colleagues from Sweden and South Korea) sat to the right.

年长的男士和访客（包括我和来自瑞典和韩国的同事）坐在右边。

The left side of the hut was open, with no wall.

小屋的左侧是敞开的，没有墙壁。

This is Mosi’s version of the kgotla, an institution that started as tribal assemblies centuries ago.

这是莫西版本的克戈特拉，一个几个世纪前作为部落集会开始的机构。

These local gatherings, so effective at the work of consultation and local decision-making, survived 80 years of British rule and thrived after independence, too—integrated into modern governance without losing their democratic soul.

这些地方集会在协商和地方决策方面非常有效，在英国 80 年的统治下幸存下来，并在独立后蓬勃发展——融入了现代治理，但没有失去民主灵魂。

In 21st-century Botswana, the kgotla is a mix of traditional local consultation and technocracy.

在 21 世纪的博茨瓦纳，kgotla 是传统的地方协商和技术官僚的混合体。

It’s a place for community members to communicate with each other and with government officials of all levels to plan, to provide services, to celebrate culture, and to settle disputes.

它是社区成员相互交流以及与各级政府官员进行规划、提供服务、庆祝文化和解决争端的地方。

This multiplicity of purposes has made the kgotla the center of governance in one of Africa’s most stable and prosperous nations.

这种多重目的使克戈特拉成为非洲最稳定和繁荣国家之一的治理中心。

And Botswana’s democratic success, in turn, has made the kgotla a subject of international fascination today, at a time of rising authoritarianism and declining democracy in other nations.

在其他国家威权主义抬头、民主衰落之际，博茨瓦纳的民主成功反过来又使克戈特拉成为当今国际社会关注的主题。

Botswana is Africa’s oldest multiparty democracy and ranks near the top (and higher than the United States) in annual lists of the most democratic nations.

博茨瓦纳是非洲最古老的多党民主国家，在年度最民主国家名单中名列前茅（高于美国）。

It boasts exceptional economic growth, low levels of polarization, and a remarkably resilient political culture.

它拥有非凡的经济增长、低水平的两极分化以及极具弹性的政治文化。

In the most recent presidential elections, more than 80% of Botswana’s electorate went to the polls, and a majority voted out the incumbent government.

在最近的总统选举中，博茨瓦纳80%以上的选民参加了投票，大多数人投票罢免了现任政府。

All parties accepted the unexpected result, and the outgoing president immediately announced plans for a smooth transition of power.

各方都接受了这一意外结果，即将卸任的总统立即宣布了权力平稳过渡的计划。

Why does democracy work so well here?

为什么民主在这里运作得这么好？

A big reason is that the local institution of the kgotla is the fundamental unit of democracy for the whole country.

一个重要原因是地方议会是整个国家民主的基本单位。

Few significant changes can be made in the nation without having them considered first at the kgotla.

如果不首先经过克戈特拉的考虑，国家就不可能做出任何重大改变。

As the proverb says, “Mafoko otlhe a kgotla a mantle.” In English: “All words and thoughts uttered in the Kgotla are precious.”

正如谚语所说，“Mafoko otlhe a kgotla a mantle”。用英语：“Kgotla 中所说的所有言语和思想都是珍贵的。”

And everyone is free to speak.

每个人都可以自由发言。

Indeed, the kgotla’s ethos is described as “mmu a lebe o bua la gagwe”—everyone can be candid, and it’s OK to make mistakes.

事实上，kgotla 的精神被描述为“mmu a lebe o bua la gagwe”——每个人都可以坦诚相待，犯错误也没关系。

I arrived at the kgotla in Mosi one late fall day in 2025 wearing a t-shirt, a fashion faux pas.

2025 年深秋的一天，我穿着一件 T 恤到达莫西的克戈特拉，这是一种时尚失礼。

I had to be granted special dispensation, as the locals were impeccably dressed for the occasion.

我必须获得特殊豁免，因为当地人在这个场合穿着无可挑剔。

The day was a vibrant mix of cultural celebration and administration.

这一天是文化庆祝和行政管理的充满活力的结合体。

Two members of the elected Village Development Committee (VDC), Megeseatsile Kgadisa and Kemetswe Mmolai, performed a poem that the women in attendance received with piercing whoops.

当选的村庄发展委员会 (VDC) 的两名成员 Megeseatsile Kgadisa 和 Kemetswe Mmolai 表演了一首诗，在场的妇女们发出了尖锐的欢呼。

The word I heard most often in the mix of Tswana and English conversation was “pula,” which means both rain and money in mostly desert Botswana.

我在茨瓦纳语和英语对话中最常听到的词是“pula”，在博茨瓦纳大部分沙漠地区，这意味着雨水和金钱。

A regional technocrat, an agricultural extension agent trusted by Mosi’s farmers, gave a brief report.

一位受莫西农民信任的地区技术官僚、农业推广机构做了简短的报告。

The village secretary, Doreen Lotlaamopense, read an official message off her phone, sent to kgotlas from the president, adding her own commentary: “More people should come to kgotla…Drive responsibly.

村书记多琳·洛特拉姆彭斯 (Doreen Lotlaamopense) 在手机上读到了总统发给克戈特拉的官方消息，并添加了她自己的评论：“更多的人应该来到克戈特拉……负责任地驾驶。

Drink responsibly.” The group followed her directive with singing, lunch, and a gossipy discussion of a recent wedding.

负责任地饮酒。”小组按照她的指示唱歌、吃午饭，并对最近的一场婚礼进行八卦讨论。

Then talk turned back to local issues.

然后话题又回到了当地问题。

Just a few feet away, Mosi was building a public bathroom with showers; the walls were up, but construction was not yet complete.

就在几英尺之外，莫西正在建造一间带淋浴的公共浴室；墙已经建起来了，但施工尚未完成。

When would it be done?

什么时候完成？

There was back-and-forth about child care and school attendance, and about climate change planning.

双方就儿童保育、入学率以及气候变化规划等问题进行了反复讨论。

Such discussions keep the country running.

这样的讨论可以维持国家的运转。

Public officials are often called in to kgotla and held directly accountable for decisions they make.

公职人员经常被召集到克戈特拉，并对其做出的决定直接负责。

The kgotla has authority over local public spending and land management, and is routinely asked to offer feedback on national policies and development plans.

克戈特拉有权管理地方公共支出和土地管理，并经常被要求就国家政策和发展计划提供反馈。

The day after the kgotla in Mosi, I had breakfast with former Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi in the village of Moshupa, where as a legislator he installed hundreds of solar-powered streetlights.

莫西克戈特拉节后的第二天，我与博茨瓦纳前总统莫克维齐·马西西在莫舒帕村共进早餐，作为立法者，他在那里安装了数百盏太阳能路灯。

“A lot of our democratic processes have been adapted to blend with our traditional systems of governance,” Masisi told me, describing “four convoys [that] come together to work in peaceful harmony” in the physical space of the kgotla.

马西西告诉我，“我们的许多民主进程已经适应了我们传统的治理体系。”他描述了“四个车队聚集在一起，在克戈特拉的物理空间中和平和谐地工作”。

The four are the kgotla assembly of regular people, the VDC (which is elected to assess needs and propose projects for funding), the Land Board (which manages land and related disputes), and the local council (which handles infrastructure).

这四个机构是普通民众的克戈特拉议会、VDC（选举产生以评估需求并提出资助项目）、土地委员会（管理土地和相关纠纷）和地方议会（处理基础设施）。

Masisi said the system forces politicians to listen rather than dictate.

马西西说，该制度迫使政客们倾听而不是发号施令。

Parliament members are expected to attend the kgotla before and after legislative sessions to hear community views and ideas.

议会成员预计将在立法会议前后出席 kgotla，以听取社区的意见和想法。

Government staff initiate projects and introduce themselves to communities at the kgotla.

政府工作人员在克戈特拉发起项目并向社区介绍自己。

Masisi said that presidents, too, are expected to show up at kgotla around the country.

马西西说，预计全国各地的总统也会出现在克戈特拉。

And so, he often did.

他经常这样做。

But protocol dictated that he never spoke first; national politicians must sit and listen to local reports, and are only permitted to speak at the very end.

但按照礼仪，他从不先发言。国家政治家必须坐下来听当地的报告，并且只允许在最后发言。

“As president, I would be behind everyone,” Masisi said.

“作为总统，我会支持所有人，”马西西说。

Botswana’s system has its flaws.

博茨瓦纳的制度有其缺陷。

Attendance at kgotla meetings has declined as urbanization increases, and younger people report feeling disconnected from the traditional formats.

随着城市化进程的加快，参加 kgotla 会议的人数有所下降，年轻人表示感觉与传统形式脱节。

There are always concerns that kgotlas will be weakened or bypassed by higher level bodies.

人们总是担心 kgotlas 会被更高级别的机构削弱或绕过。

Local leaders sometimes fail to follow the traditional prohibition against participating in party politics to maintain kgotla neutrality, a sign of our more polarized times.

地方领导人有时未能遵守禁止参与政党政治的传统禁令，以保持克戈特拉中立，这是我们这个更加两极分化时代的标志。

In much of the world, technocracy and democracy are viewed as opposing forces—the experts versus the people.

在世界许多地方，技术统治和民主被视为对立的力量——专家与人民。

The kgotla proves they can harmonize.

克戈特拉证明他们可以和谐相处。

When school principals and village chiefs sit together, and when a national president must wait his turn to speak, the gap between the government and the governed shrinks.

当学校校长和村长坐在一起，当国家主席必须轮到发言时，政府和被统治者之间的差距就会缩小。

Masisi has advised other countries on democratic development.

马西西曾为其他国家提供有关民主发展的建议。

He’s also working for the EU as an emissary for peace in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

他还作为刚果民主共和国的和平使者为欧盟工作。

His main message is that democracy works best when it is local—and intimate.

他的主要信息是，民主在地方性且亲密的情况下效果最好。

“If little Botswana, inconsequential Botswana, has a rich tapestry of democracy,” he said, “it can be done anywhere in the world.”

“如果小博茨瓦纳、无关紧要的博茨瓦纳拥有丰富的民主，”他说，“那么在世界任何地方都可以做到。”

Joe Mathews writes the Connecting California column for Zócalo Public Square and is founder-columnist of Democracy Local , a planetary publication.

乔·马修斯 (Joe Mathews) 为佐卡洛公共广场 (Zócalo Public Square) 撰写《连接加州》专栏，也是行星刊物 Democracy Local 的创始人兼专栏作家。

Primary editor: Eryn Brown | Secondary editor: Sarah Rothbard

主要编辑：Eryn Brown |二级编辑：莎拉·罗斯巴德

Get our latest essays, poems, art, and updates on our (always) free events.

获取我们最新的文章、诗歌、艺术作品以及我们（始终）免费活动的最新动态。