Why Botswana is a Deviant Case to the Natural Resource Curse?

David Sebudubudu *, Keneilwe Mooketsane

Abstract


The resource curse thesis generally considers the profusion of natural resources as an anti-thesis to development. This correlation is based on empirical evidence from countries that are resource endowed (such as Angola, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone, and South Sudan) but have faulted in realizing economic development as they were and continue to be predisposed to unrelenting socio-economic and political ills than countries that are less endowed with natural resources (i.e Singapore). Yet, there are a few countries that are glutted with high value extractive resources but deviated in the way they used those resources. Botswana is one such a country that has demonstrated that ‘the resource curse’ is avoidable. This paper argues that Botswana is a deviant case of success in the way it has managed its natural resources. Its deviance has become a conundrum for researchers and policy analysts who seek to understand how this was achieved. This paper seeks to explain why this was possible for Botswana when equally endowed countries faulted.

 

*Corresponding Author: Professor, University of Botswana, E-Mail: sebudubu@mopipi.ub.bw


Full Text:

PDF

References


Acemoglu, D and Robinson J, A. 2013. Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity and Poverty, London: Profile Books.

Basedau, M and Lay, J (undated) Rentier peace or resource curse? The ambiguous effects of oil wealth and oil dependency on violent conflict, Hamburg: German Institute for Global and Area Studies, MIMEO.

Dougherty, M. 2011. A Policy Framework for New Mineral Economies: Lessons from Botswana, Institute for Environmental Diplomacy & Security, Research Series.

Collier, P and Hoeffler, A. 2005. “Resource rents, Governance, and Conflict”, Journal of Conflict Resolution, 49, (4) pp 625-633.

Collier, P and Hoeffler, A. 2012. “High-Value natural Resources, development, and conflict: Channels of causation”, Lujah, P and Rustad, S. A (eds) High-Value Natural Resources and Post-Conflcit Peacebuilding, London:

Earthscan. Coutinho, L. 2011. “The Resource Curse and Fiscal Policy”, Cyprus Economic Policy Review, 5, (1), pp 43-70.

Edge, W. 2012. “Mogae unplugged- on family, university and Nchindo”, Mmegionline, accessed 10 May 2016; http://www.mmegi.bw/index.php?sid=6&aid=164&dir=2012/Ja nuary/Tuesday31/.

Honde, G and Abraha, F. 2015. Botswana 2015, Africa Economic Outlook. AfDB, OECED, UNDP.

Jefferis,K and Kenewendo, B. 2013. Botswana country overview, Capital Resources.

King, C. 1966. “Bechuanaland Poor, Hungry Desert Land, Independence to come Friday”, Southern News Service, Botswana as it Was Seen 45 Years Ago, http://www.letakasafaris.com/botswana-as-it-wasseen-45-years-ago/2012/.

Lewin, M. 2011. “Botswana’s Success: Good Governance, Good Policies, and Good Luck”, Chuhan-Pole, P and Angwafo, M (eds) Yes, Africa Can: Success Stories From a Dynamic Continent, Washington DC: The World Bank, Available online at http://siteresources. World bank. org/AFRICAEXT/Resources/2586431271798012256/Botswana-success. pdf.

Mahler, A. 2010. Nigeria: A Prime Example of the Resource Curse? Revisiting the Oil-Violence link in the Niger Delta, Hamburg: German Institute of Global and Area Studies (GIGA) Working Papers Series.

Maipose G, S and Matsheka T, S. 2008. “The indigenous development state and growth in Botswana”, Ndulu B, J et al (eds) The Political economy of economic growth in Africa 1960 – 2000.Vol 2. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Masire, K. 2006. Very brave or very foolish? Memoirs of an African democrat. Gaborone, Botswana:

Macmillan. Meyns P. 2010. “Botswana: A developmental state in Africa”, Meyns P and Musamba C (eds) The Developmental State in Africa: Problems and Prospects. Institute for Development and Peace, INEF-Report.

Ong’ayo, A.O. 2008. Political Instability in Africa: Where the problem lies and alternate perspectives.

Symposium 2008: Afrika: een continent op drift. Republic of Botswana. 2016. Budget Speech, Gaborone: Government Printer.

Rosser, A. 2006. The Political Economy of the Resource Curse: A literature Survey, Brighton: Institute of Development Studies Working Paper 268.

Rotberg, R. I. 2003. “The roots of Africa’s leadership deficit”, Compass: A Journal of Leadership, 1(1) 28–32.

Samatar, A.I. 1999. An African miracle: State and class leadership and colonial legacy in Botswana development, Portsmouth: Heinemann.

Sebudubudu, D., Makepe, P., Montsi, K and Bodilenyane, K. 2014. “Governance of Land and Natural Resource for Sustainable Development in Botswana: Possible Lessons for the Agricultural and Tourism Sectors”, International Journal of African Development: Vol. 2: Issue. 1, Article 7. Available at: http://scholarworks.wmich.edu/ijad/vol2/iss1/7; Center for African Development and Policy Research (CADPR), Western Michigan University.

Sebudubudu D and Botlhomilwe M. 2012. “The critical role of leadership in Botswana’s development: What lessons”, Leadership, 8 (1) 29-45.

Sebudubudu, D. 2011. Wealth sharing for conflict prevention and economic growth: Botswana case study of natural resource utilization for peace and development. Washington DC: World Bank Group.

Sebudubudu, D & Molutsi, P. 2011. The Elite as a Critical Factor in National Development: The Case of Botswana, Uppsala: Nordic Africa Institute.

Sebudubudu, D. 2005. “The institutional framework of the developmental state in Botswana”, Mbabazi, P and Taylor, I (eds) The Potentiality of ‘Developmental States’ in Africa, Dakar: CODESRIA.

Torvik, R. 2009. “Why do some resource-abundant countries succeed while others do not?”, Oxford Review of Economic Policy, 25 (2) pp 241- 256. Tsie, B. 1998. “The state and development policy in Botswana”, Hope, R. K (ed.) Public Administration and Policy in Botswana, Cape Town: Juta & Co.


Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


 [ISSN 0856-0056 (Print) & ISSN 1821-889X (Online)]