BOTSWANA: A ROLE MODEL FOR OTHER AFRICAN COUNTRIES

Abstract

Many African countries have been heaping their economic and political woes on colonialism, several
decades after independence. Instead of recognizing post-colonial leadership as the key determinant of
a country’s economic and political development, defeatist conclusions are being emphasized to exon-
erate the ineptitude of African leaders. A cursory look at many of the current and post independence
African governments offers us a good knowledge of predatory, instead of proprietary states. Botswana
is an exception. She enjoys a leadership that has economic interests quite consistent with the citizen’s
wishes which realizes that policy choice at a critical point in time represents the key factor that deter-
mines the wealth and poverty of any nation. In a continent where the outcry from the developed
economies is “economic prudence and good governanceâ€, Transparency International has ranked
Botswana as having the lowest perceived corruption index in Africa. She is also ranked second best
among all developing nations and less corrupt than a number of privileged countries, including Japan,
Spain, Belgium, Greece and Italy. At the wake of her independence, Botswana adopted four national
principles: Democracy, Development, Unity and Self-reliance which she pursued through well thought-
out-policies and in accordance with the consent of the governed. Choice, and not historical determin-
ism, is responsible for Botswana’s development as well as Sub-Saharan Africa’s stagnation in general.
On this premise, this paper will address the evolution, challenges and enduring lessons of Botswana
including those ideals of sustainable development that could serve as a useful guide for other African
Nations.