This article is a documentary and historical analysis of the experience of Botswana in citizen engagement in the
public policy making process before and during the administration of President Festus Mogae that ended in April
2008. Public policy making in many African countries has long been dominated by a ‘top-down approach’ which
is a hangover from either the long period of military dictatorship in many of the countries or from the
authoritarian one-party system in some of them. Many existing participatory mechanisms only provide symbolic
forms of participation. However, Botswana to a large extent is an exception as decentralized planning is a
priority in the governance process with its citizen engagement process rooted in the consultative framework of
traditional ‘kgotla’ democratic system of governance. Although active participative form of citizen engagement
is yet to be fully achieved, Botswana’s existing citizen engagement mechanisms are no doubt a model for other
African countries to emulate.