For the period that Ian Khama has been president, economic development occupies the national agenda. Ipso facto the average urban citizen is cognizant of these shifts. On the other hand we are aware that these were responsive initiatives attending to a crisis as opposed to progressive fortitude.
Herein I seek to discuss several things that puzzle me regarding our path of economic development.
Economic Foreign Policy
To a large extent economic development is largely dependent on development cooperation with OECD countries. It appears we, in all our wisdom, are largely attached to the USA and UK. I doubt if Botswana is or can be a strategic priority to these countries. I am of the view that we should find new partners. Building on treaties signed by Mogae prior to his departure, we should court Nordic countries, BRICS and N11 countries. The primary objective should be technology transfer. This means that rather vying for FDI, Botswana should look into the efficacy of international joint ventures (IJVs) in areas of interest so as to create a stronger industrial base.
Industrialization
Manufacturing and services have a huge potential in Botswana. One starting point is tapping into global production chains of larger companies: spillovers and positive externalities accrue in terms of technology and human capital development. Subsequently Botswana can be in a position to manufacture commodities such as electronic appliances, automotive accessories, rubber products, textiles, jewelry, ammunition etc. Other prospects regard the production of simple daily commodities such as paper, liquids, and foods.
Botswana still ignores one area that directly relates to its past and present horrors–pharmaceutical manufacturing. As a nation ravaged by HIV/AIDS, one of our priorities should be a joint-venture with such and/or drug manufacturers from India, China, South Korea and Brazil to replace USAID rollouts. This can be extended to manufacturing of traditional herbs into modern medicine that can penetrate the African, Asia-Pacific and Caribbean markets.
Manufacturing should not necessarily correspond to our natural and mineral resources. Botswana can import rubber, crude oil, sugar cane etc, to produce at home (production modalities discussed later). For example, Switzerland imports gold and cocoa to produce jewelry and chocolate, making over 400% profit returns on each. However, this localization of manufacturing requires the mobilization of local human and financial resources.
Investing in the People
The G20’s Seoul Development Consensus points to need for developing countries to heavily invest in their people. Botswana has been investing in its people by virtue of free health and education. Recently the state offers sponsorships for select graduate programs including sponsoring high school best performers. However, I hold that this is myopic and needless: scholarships are galore and accessible to both corps even in the absence of these initiatives. Rather, the government should seek to reward and sustain the following kinds of groups.
Incentives should be provide for intellectual contributions in applied, natural and social sciences. In 2012 a Motswana student claimed (on Mmegi) to have formulated a medical theory that can prove useful in her field. The state should give incentives to young Batswana who increase Botswana’s intellectual footprint, with a bias to applied sciences. Intellectual capital is a needful foundation for research and development (R&D) which is highly indispensable in economic development. Thereafter it can provide support for such people by creating more think tanks that can guide the process of development in Botswana.
Incentives should also be provided for technological innovation. In 2008 Sunday Standard reported on a certain Pule Mmolotsi (33) who ‘invented’ a biometric phone. It was surprising, as per the read, that South Africa, Ghana, Australia and the US companies showed interest in the project yet BEDIA and other local agencies could not provide a paltry US$ 40,000; yet ministers can spend 13% of that amount on cutlery. Similarly, BTV once featured a young man in Kasane who designed and flew a complex version of a motor glide. Where is he and his products now? The state should provide incentives for such youth to be retained.
This would require millions of dollars in investment without stretching the budget. This means that the millions wasted on the constituency league and other forms of charity can be redirected into these. (I admire Khama’s charitable heart but he can do a lot of that after 2018 under his foundation. [I have to also say Khama’s approach of planning the future with elderly citizens–who won’t be here tomorrow, is very disturbing. The youth have been systematically removed from participating in the governance and development of this country]).
There is need to repeal a form of economic exclusion masquerading as ethnic politics. The marginalization of the BaZezuru confines them to an informal economy, which leaves them on the periphery of the government’s economic diversification drive. Will the state look into effectuating their production into modern contexts? The hermetic treatment and perception of the BaZezuru and other so-called “minorities” as second class citizens is irrational, silly and corrosive. All are here to stay! The impact of traditionalism and ethnicity are far reaching than it seems.
Adverse Effects of Tribalism on Development
Tribal and ethnic issues frustrate development. The segmentation of the country according to ethnic lines is both good and bad. First, it provides a good basis for cluster development according to regions and culturally inherent practices that can translate into modernization. Second, it is irrelevant in that various people have different interests in economic terms: somebody from Tsabong might want a career in aquatic sciences which are found in Ngamiland and Chobe. Thus Festus Mogae’s idea that people can reside wherever they want was one of the wisest fire-side suggestions (or is it a policy?). Unfortunately he did not deal with the root cause–chieftainship.
Chieftainship should be either abolished or reformed for the sake of development. First, it gives people an undue excess of tribal consciousness, thus reducing the rate of urbanization. Second, it unnecessarily pluralizes settlements in the North-East and Central District(s). As V. Ramachandran noted, both of these frustrate economic growth by segmenting business activities that do not expand to national markets. Instead of focusing on urbanization, the state is inadvertently required to stretch its welfare budget and stretch its investment in social overhead capital. The entire nation should be socialized in such a way that economic survival in a modern context should come first in their psychosocial cognition. This can be engineered by broader media freedom.
Press Freedom and Development
The state still does not appreciate the efficacy on media and information freedom with regards to development. I will make an argument regarding national and community media. It is beyond the scope of this article to discuss the link between media freedom and economic development.
The state media should be translated into public media. BTV and RB1-2 should be reformed into a setting where the government has minority shares, say at 32%. The revenue flow will innately be given to the free market to make more proceeds. Furthermore, this will broaden the scope of creativity and advertising. An option is for three more state-sponsored public channels that run without the interference of government. However, public media still carries a lot of centralized development.
Community media can liberate the present lethargy found in rural or semi-urban communities. Information flow can improve at lower levels. In the event of increased political and fiscal powers, citizens can use community media to require developmental accountability from their leaders. The economics of community media are worth noting. Although the orthodox view is such that community media does not translate into serious business activities, empirical evidence from India suggests otherwise. Similar frameworks can benefit places such as Maun, Palapye, Mahalapye, Lobatse and Selibe-Phikwe and Francistown. (The notion that community media poses a national security threat is nonsensical: if the state can eavesdrop into our calls, they certainly can similarly monitor and control tribalism in community media. Such software for intercepting radio shortwave signals goes for $150 online, 2.2% of a minister’s cutlery budget).
The Role of Economic Espionage
Upon reading the DISS Act of 2008, one wonders whether Botswana really needed that outfit. Maybe, maybe not..!
In the post Cold War, intelligence agencies are mainly used for economic espionage. In view of the messiness of the international order, and the reluctance of larger economies to share technology, Botswana must explore devoting a larger part of its activities to economic espionage. This is not a radical suggestion, neither is it criminal.
The DISS should first seek to recruit inexpensive but brilliant minds who can work on developing certain technologies that can take the country forward. The DISS should always quick to get into areas like Libya, Syria, Georgia, Belarus, Sudan and Iran to recruit disenfranchised individuals whom they can protect within our borders to help radicalize and accelerate our economy at different levels. Such would include ex-military personnel whose former technology can be turned into civilian utility. The state is entitled to give them as many incentives (including the most beautiful and voluptuous women) as long as there are results. ([email protected])
