Botswana is experiencing a growing crisis of shrinking civic space at a time when the country is already battling economic decline, rising unemployment, increasing poverty, and escalating gender-based violence (GBV). Civil society organisations (CSOs), which have historically provided essential support services to vulnerable communities, are now facing severe funding cuts that threaten their survival and ability to operate effectively.
The situation has worsened following the withdrawal of key international donor support, including USAID-funded programmes. Instead of strengthening support for civil society during this difficult period, the government has reportedly further reduced funding allocations to CSOs, including completely cutting funding to the Botswana Council of Non-Governmental Organisations (BOCONGO), the umbrella body representing civil society in Botswana. On 23 April 2026, BOCONGO received official communication from the NGO Council confirming that no government funding would be allocated to the organisation for the current financial year. These actions sharply contradict earlier political promises to allocate 1% of the national budget to CSOs and recognise them as partners in national development.
The recent withdrawal of government funding to the Botswana Council of Non-Governmental Organisations (BOCONGO) represents a major setback for Botswana’s civil society sector and raises growing concerns about the country’s enabling environment for civic participation and democratic engagement. BOCONGO, as the umbrella body representing civil society organisations (CSOs) in Botswana, has historically played a central role in coordinating advocacy efforts, strengthening community organisations, facilitating policy engagement, and supporting development initiatives across sectors such as HIV/AIDS response, gender-based violence (GBV), youth empowerment, governance, and human rights.
The impact extends beyond organisational finances. As the leading coordinating body for CSOs, weakening BOCONGO risks reducing civic participation, policy dialogue, and independent advocacy in Botswana. Smaller community-based organisations that rely on BOCONGO for representation, capacity building, and networking support may also face operational difficulties. This is particularly concerning given Botswana’s current challenges, including rising youth unemployment, increasing GBV, HIV/AIDS-related vulnerabilities, and emerging “One Health” issues such as malaria outbreaks and rabies cases reported in Maun. Weakening organisations addressing these issues undermines access to healthcare, justice, social protection, and public participation in governance.
There are also growing fears that funding cuts may be politically motivated, particularly as some CSOs have expressed concerns over government initiatives such as the Constitutional Court Bill of 2025. If unchecked, these developments risk eroding democratic freedoms, silencing independent voices, and deepening social inequality across Botswana.