Escaping the Resource Curse: The Sources of Institutional Quality in Botswana

Abstract

Botswana has recently garnered analytic attention as an anomaly of the "resource curse" phenomenon. Worldwide, countries whose economies are highly skewed towards a dependence on the export of non-renewable natural resources such as oil, diamonds and uranium, have been among the most troubled, authoritarian, poverty-stricken and conflict-prone; a phenomenon widely regarded as the "resource curse". The resource curse explains the varying fortunes of countries based on their resource wealth, with resource-rich countries faring much worse than their resource-poor counterparts.However, Botswana, with diamond exports accounting for 50percent of government revenues and 80percent of total exports, has achieved one of the fastest economic growth rates in the developing world in the last 50 years. Furthermore, the Freedom House ranks it as the safest, most stable, least corrupt and most democratic country on sub-Saharan Africa.In attempting to answer why Botswana apparently escaped the "resource curse", this research assumes that both formal and informal institutions within the state acted as intermediary variables in determining its fortune. This research thus addresses the deeper viii question of where Botswana obtained its unique institutional quality that facilitated its apparent escape of the resource curse. It traces Botswana's history through four lenses: legitimacy and historical continuity, political culture, ethnicity and identity management, and external relations; as having explanatory value in understanding the Botswana exception.The research finds most evidence of Botswana's institutional quality emanating from the country's political culture which it found more compatible with the institutions of development and democracy that facilitate both positive economic and political outcomes. It also found evidence of legitimacy and historical continuity facilitating the robustness of both formal and informal institutions in Botswana, and identity management through assimilation as having buffered against the effects of ethnically motivated resource plunder. It however, found the least support for the assertion that external relations contributed to institutional quality.ix

A Comparative Study of Corruption in the Extractive Industries of Nigeria and Botswana: Lessons that can Be Learnt by the Young African Country of Eritrea

“…(Sebudubudu and Mooketsane, 2016b) With respect to Botswana's political culture the country has maintained a reputation for accountability and transparency, formalized through the constitution and supporting legislation which calls for open government. (Gapa, 2013) Botswana has maintained a high…”

“…2005) Despite the BDP (Botswana People's Party) remaining in power since 1966, the foremost political opposition party, the BNF (Botswana National Front), competes for seats in parliament freely. (Gapa, 2013) Furthermore, successive presidents have fused the culture of openness and accountability with their individual leadership styles, insisting on curbing corruption, despite the incentives for corruption presented by Botswana's lucrative diamond mining. (Gapa, 2013) Moreover the indigenous culture possessed by Botswana encapsulated in societal values of -Botho‖ is considered very intolerant to corrupt acts committed by citizenry, especially public officials.…”

“…(Gapa, 2013) Furthermore, successive presidents have fused the culture of openness and accountability with their individual leadership styles, insisting on curbing corruption, despite the incentives for corruption presented by Botswana's lucrative diamond mining. (Gapa, 2013) Moreover the indigenous culture possessed by Botswana encapsulated in societal values of -Botho‖ is considered very intolerant to corrupt acts committed by citizenry, especially public officials. According to Groop (2017) the relatively low levels of corruption in Botswana cannot be explained through accountability alone, rather the prevailing minimal corruption is in part explained role of other factors such as informal rules, emphasizing, among other things, the moral value of -Botho‖, which guides actors in the Botswana context, and which might hold a part-answer as to why corruption in Botswana is not more common than it is.…”

Understanding human resource management practices in Botswana’s public health sector

“…The public health sector in Botswana exists within the public service which provides its immediate external environment. The Directorate of Public Service Management (DPSM), which is a body under the Ministry of State President established through the Public Service Act of 1998 (GoB, 1998a) has the statutory responsibility for the management of the public service. The DPSM responsibility entails provision of policy framework and developing and enhancing strategies to improve public service performance (GoB, 1998a).…”

“…The Directorate of Public Service Management (DPSM), which is a body under the Ministry of State President established through the Public Service Act of 1998 (GoB, 1998a) has the statutory responsibility for the management of the public service. The DPSM responsibility entails provision of policy framework and developing and enhancing strategies to improve public service performance (GoB, 1998a). In view of this relatedness, it can be concluded that HRM practices in the public health sector are to a large extent a reflection of the broader public service (Paauwe and Boselie, 2003).…”