Botswana and Rwanda are two states that show two very different outcomes for human rights and governance post COVID-19 pandemic. Botswana has continued as a successful democratic state that respects human rights while Rwanda post COVID-19 accelerated authoritarian governance and human rights erosion. Rwanda’s path mirrors Agamben’s theory of normalization of emergency measures during crises leading into authoritarian control over the population, while Botswana defies this path. This thesis aims to find what factors caused Botswana sustain resistance to democratic backsliding and human rights erosion. The study will be conducted as a qualitative analysis of state actions and policies using concepts from Foucault and Agamben.