Alliance for Progressives claims De Beers is financing Botswana ruling party

With general elections for Botswana's National Assembly coming up in October of this year, the temperatures of Botswana's political scene are on the rise. The Journalducameroun.com, one of Cameroon's veteran general information websites, reported that Botswana's opposition party Alliance for Progressives (AP) claimed that "the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) is being financed by diamond mining giant De Beers."

AP leader Ndaba Gaolathe briefed journalists earlier this month in Gaborone, arguing that the BDP was being financed "by people who have interests in our country and the resources found in our country."

"The ruling party has been for the longest time been financed by De Beers and multitudes of billionaires," Gaolathe said. Journal du Cameroun wrote this is not the first time such claims have surfaced since similar allegations were made by the opposition in 2000.

De Beers and BDP have both refuted the allegations.