Editing Gaborone (section)

==Government==
{{main|Parliament of Botswana}}
[[File:BotswanaParliament.jpg|thumb|The [[National Assembly of Botswana]]]]

===Local government===
{{main|Gaborone City Council}}
Gaborone is controlled by the [[Gaborone City Council]], the wealthiest council in Botswana.<ref>{{cite thesis |last=Nengwekhulu |first=Ranwedzi |title=An evaluation of the nature and role of local government in post colonial Botswana |chapter-url=http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/submitted/etd-09222008-160653/unrestricted/03chapter5.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100714024518/http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/submitted/etd-09222008-160653/unrestricted/03chapter5.pdf|archive-date=14 July 2010 |access-date=17 June 2012 |degree=DPhil |date=1 April 1996 |publisher=University of Pretoria School of Public Management and Administration |id=etd-09222008-160653|pages=98–124|chapter=Chapter Five: The Structure and Membership of the Council}}</ref> It is composed of 35 councillors representing the wards of Gaborone. The Townships Act mandates the structure of local governments in Botswana. Because Botswana is a [[unitary state]], the power of the local councils are delegated from the national level. The Ministry of Local Government, Land and Housing has a major influence in terms of personnel hiring and training, budgeting, and development planning.<ref name=Wunsch>{{cite journal|last=Wunsch |first=James S. |title=Decentralization, Local Governance and the Democratic Transition in Southern Africa: A Comparative Analysis |journal=African Studies Quarterly |year=1998 |volume=2 |issue=1 |pages=19–45 |access-date=17 June 2012 |publisher=[[University of Florida]] Center for African Studies |location=[[Gainesville, Florida|Gainesville]], Florida |issn=2152-2448 |url=http://www.africa.ufl.edu/asq/v2/v2i1a2.pdf |archive-date=16 December 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121216190909/http://www.africa.ufl.edu/asq/v2/v2i1a2.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The [[City commission government|city commission]]-style [[city council|council]] is run by the city clerk and the deputy city clerk. The city is governed by the mayor, deputy mayor, and several committees run by councillors: the financial and general purposes committee; the public health, social welfare and housing committee; the Self-Help Housing Agency (SHAA) management committee; the town planning committee; the trade licensing committee; and the education committee.<ref name=pula>{{Cite journal|last=Lekorwe |first=Mogopodi |title=The politics of urban governance and management in Gaborone |url=http://archive.lib.msu.edu/DMC/African%20Journals/pdfs/PULA/pula012001/pula012001006.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110616154953/http://archive.lib.msu.edu/DMC/African%20Journals/pdfs/PULA/pula012001/pula012001006.pdf |archive-date=16 June 2011 |access-date=3 August 2010 |journal=Pula: Botswana Journal of African Studies |volume=12 |issue=1 & 2 |year=1998 }}</ref> The councillors elect the mayor in a [[first-past-the-post voting|first-past-the-post]] system and place each other in the committees yearly.<ref name=BALA /> The council has 2,515 employees.<ref name=pula />

An income tax called the Local Government Tax used to be the main source of income of the city council, but it was abolished. Today, the city council derives most of its revenue from property rates. City councillors feel that because of recurrent obligations, they have little room to institute new solutions.<ref name=Wunsch />

The city council has been criticised by the Botswana Association of Local Authorities for its closed elections and minimal authority.<ref name=BALA /> In 2010, the council had problems with waste management: Frenic, the waste management company hired by the city, sued the Gaborone City Council for unpaid compensation.<ref>{{cite web|last=Mooketsi|first=Lekopanye|title=Frenic Company sues Gaborone City Council|url=http://www.mmegi.bw/index.php?sid=1&aid=603&dir=2010/March/Wednesday3|publisher=Mmegi|access-date=4 August 2010|date=3 March 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120307161312/http://www.mmegi.bw/index.php?sid=1&aid=603&dir=2010%2FMarch%2FWednesday3|archive-date=7 March 2012}}</ref> This has led to a buildup of uncollected garbage.<ref>{{cite web|last=Ngwanaamotho|first=Maranyane|title=Gaborone City Council fails to collect garbage|url=http://www.mmegi.bw/index.php?sid=1&aid=1532&dir=2010/April/Friday9|publisher=Mmegi|access-date=4 August 2010|date=9 April 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120307161335/http://www.mmegi.bw/index.php?sid=1&aid=1532&dir=2010%2FApril%2FFriday9|archive-date=7 March 2012}}</ref> Haskins Nkaigwa, mayor of Gaborone from 2011, has stressed the importance of more local autonomy. He advocates for a stronger city council with the power to determine budgets and hire and fire clerks and officers.<ref>{{cite web|last=Keoreng|first=Ephraim|title=New Gaborone Mayor seeks power to hire and fire|url=http://www.mmegi.bw/index.php?sid=1&aid=494&dir=2011/October/Wednesday5|access-date=17 June 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111104154805/http://mmegi.bw/index.php?sid=1&aid=494&dir=2011%2FOctober%2FWednesday5|archive-date=4 November 2011|location=Gaborone|date=5 October 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===National government===
[[File:Gaborone Downtown, Botswana.jpg|thumb|Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs building]]
Gaborone is the political centre of [[Botswana]]. Most government buildings are located west of the Main Mall in an area called the Government Enclave.<ref name=map /> The [[National Assembly of Botswana]], the [[Ntlo ya Dikgosi]], the [[National Archives of Botswana|National Archives]],<ref name=economy /> the [[Department of Taxes and Attorney General's Chambers Building]], and the Ministry of Health. Near the entrance of the parliament building, there is a statue of [[Seretse Khama|Sir Seretse Khama]], Botswana's first president as well as a memorial dedicated to the three hundred Batswana who were killed from 1939 to 1945.<ref name="botswana review">{{cite journal| year = 2010| title = Botswana Review 29th Edition| journal = Botswana Review of Commerce and Industry| volume = 29| publisher = B&T Directories (Pty) LTD| location = Gaborone, Botswana| url = https://www.scribd.com/doc/32694240/Botswana-Review-2010| access-date = 11 October 2010| url-status = live| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100707102758/http://www.scribd.com/doc/32694240/Botswana-Review-2010| archive-date = 7 July 2010}}</ref> Another monument pays tribute to the [[Botswana Defence Force]] soldiers who died in the [[Rhodesian Bush War]].<ref name=tourismboard />

Before 1982, Gaborone held [[Gaborone (Botswana constituency)|one parliamentary constituency]], in the [[Parliament of Botswana]]. From 1982 to 1993, Gaborone was divided into two constituencies, [[Gaborone North]] and [[Gaborone South]]. A third seat in Parliament was given to a member elected for the whole city of Gaborone. In January 1993, two new constituencies were created: [[Gaborone West]] and [[Gaborone Central]]. For local government elections, the four constituencies were divided into wards. Gaborone North had seven, Gaborone West had seven. Gaborone Central had six, and Gaborone South had five.<ref name=pula /> In 2019, the city had five constituencies: [[Gaborone North]], [[Gaborone Central]], [[Gaborone South]], [[Gaborone Bonnington North]], and [[Gaborone Bonnington South]].<ref name="constituencies">{{cite web|title=How Parties Fared in 2019 Parliamentary Election|url=https://www.mmegi.bw/index.php?aid=83222&dir=2019/october/28|last=Odubeng|first=Maureen|date=18 October 2019|website=The Monitor|access-date=30 May 2020}}</ref>

An [[International Law Enforcement Academy]] (ILEA) was established on 24 July 2000 in Gaborone. The academy would provide training for middle managers for the countries in the [[Southern African Development Community]] (SADC).<ref>{{Cite web | date =29 June 2009 | title =History | url =http://www.ileagaborone.co.bw/History.htm | publisher =ILEA Gaborone-Botswana | access-date =24 May 2011 | url-status =dead | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20110706164523/http://www.ileagaborone.co.bw/History.htm | archive-date =6 July 2011 }}</ref>

There are 21 [[List of diplomatic missions in Botswana|diplomatic missions in Gaborone]].