B otswana is considered a success story in the region based on its status as a fast growing economy and political stability, which puts it high on the list of countries favoured by the international community. It is also held up as the model of a thriving democracy on the African continent for holding free and fair elections on a regular basis and having a constitution that provides for fundamental rights. Under this camouflage of good governance and a sound economy is a government intent on muffling inquiring minds and squashing dissenting voices. The clamping down on the media is largely due to the interlinkage between power, patronage and corruption. The hierarchy of the rich state has cascaded into pockets of power and influence for people in leadership or those close to leadership allowing them to benefit financially along the various rungs of the supply chain. Party membership and position especially, but not exclusively, in the ruling party have become an important ticket for accessing jobs, business loans, opportunities and the winning of tenders for supplying to the government and its agencies. Media reports exposing these corrupt practices is unpalatable for the establishment, mostly because the cases reported involve people high up on the ladder of hierarchy. So when specific cases of fraud have been exposed, Botswana’s corruption watchdog, the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC) tends to come down hard on the media. These exposures are penalised through raids on media houses, 20 So This is Democracy? 2015 arrests of journalists or intimidation through surveillance. Media sustainability is partially also linked to power and patronage. The ownership of private media by leading business interests has been a limiting factor to their independence. The media’s high dependence on advertising fees - mainly from the government – has made the media vulnerable and so Government has used this susceptibility to curb the watchdog role of the media by determining the placement of their adspend. Under this camouflage of good governance and a sound economy is a government intent on muffling inquiring minds and squashing dissenting voices. Another dent on Botswana’s prominent status was the suspension of 4 judges by President Ian Khama, which caused an international and regional outcry with the SADC Lawyers Association calling for the immediate re-instatement of the four judges. The actions of the state were further questioned when an appeal by the judges to have their suspension lifted was dismissed by the High Court.