BOTSWANA

HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY

TOGBETSE SENYO
GEOG. 3750
PROF. OPPONG
12/6/2013
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INTRODUCTION

Botswana the beautiful country came into the spot light when it’s major ethnic

group the Tswana people, moved further north from Southeast of South Africa during the

turmoil of the Zulu wars. In order to stay relatively stable and free from attacks from the

Boers and Afrikaans, they requested for British assistance. The British capitalized on the

peoples request to form the British protectorate of the Bechuanaland in the late nineteenth

century. Since independence, Botswana has maintained a stable democracy and is today’s

example of a true democracy in Africa. Against all odds, in relation to corruption and

mismanagement of Africa’s economy and rich natural resource, Botswana is a leading

example of economic growth, extremely low corruption and social progress. Currently

Botswana is the world’s leading producer and exporter of diamonds by value.

With an area of 231,800 square mile (600,370 square kilometers), Botswana is

slightly smaller than Texas. The United Nations estimates about two million for

Botswana’s population in 2012. Botswana is a landlocked country, surrounded by South

Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Zambia. The tourist favorite site in Botswana is the

Kalahari Desert, Okavango Delta and Chobe National Parks which holds some of the best

wild life there is in Africa. Amazingly the Kalahari Desert covers about eighty percent of

Botswana’s land. It is covered with Savanna grasses and shrubs and suffers acute water

supply. But there is good news, “the Okavango Delta, the world’s largest inland delta, is

found in the north. Its wetlands harbor a wide variety of wildlife, including crocodiles,

hippopotamuses, elephants, Cape buffalo, and African fish eagles” (CultureGrams Africa,

13). Wildlife contributes significantly to the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP).

Since the Kalahari Desert covers about eighty percent of the land area in Botswana, how
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do the people survive, in terms of water availability? The people of Botswana rely on

reservoirs and mechanized or hand dug wells to provide most of their water.

Predominantly, Botswana’s climate is sub-tropical. Summer in Botswana starts from

October to April, which is characterized by rain fall and hot temperatures. Temperatures

could rise above 100 degree Fahrenheit, compared to that of Texas weather during

summer. Winter for Botswana starts from May to August and the weather conditions are

mostly windy and sunny temperatures. It could be very cold at night in some parts of

Botswana, with a range of about 23 degree Fahrenheit (-5 degree Celsius). Despite the

many reasons which include the Botswana safari, that takes visitors to Botswana, nothing

compares to the beauty of Gaborone which is the largest and the capital city of Botswana.

Botswana’s democracy is unquestionably one of the best or the best in Africa. How

do they achieve these high standards in democracy? “The people of Bechuanaland were

used to the concept of accountable government through their traditional kgotla system,

whereby a chief was accountable to his people, so they found no problem with the form

of representative parliamentary government put forward by the British” (History of

Africa, 432). The country’s multi-party system has helped maintain democracy in

Botswana. The Bechuanaland Democratic Party (BDP) was founded by Sir Seretse

Khama and Sir Ketumile Masire. The party won independence from the British in 1966.

Under Botswana’s independence, Sir Seretse Khama became president with Sir Ketumile

Masire as vice president of the Republic of Botswana. Currently the party is known as the

Botswana Democratic Party (BDP). The president was popularly elected for three office

terms and died in 1980 and vice president Sir Ketumile Masire took over office from

1980 to 1998. After Sir Ketumile Masire decided to retire, his vice Festus Mogae
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succeeded him as president after the elections of 1999. Surprisingly Botswana

Democratic Party has maintained a long majority rule over the years that always happen

to win over 40 seats out of the 57 seats in their parliament. The opposition party,

Botswana National Front as of the 2004 elections has only won 12 seats in parliament.

Botswana’s leaders have helped to maintain a steady economic growth for the nation and

very high life expectancy. Nevertheless, Botswana faces a serious HIV/AIDS pandemic.

One of the great leaders Festus Mogae has helped curtail these problems by offering free

antiretroviral treatments for its people. About eighty seven percent of the people of

Botswana have free access to antiretroviral treatment. In 2008 Megae stepped down to

allow the founding father of Botswana Democratic Party’s son, Seretse Ian Khama to also

taste power through winning the 2008 elections. Currently he is the president of

Botswana. Among the major political parties are Botswana Congress Party (BCP), which

has only one seat in parliament, Botswana Alliance Movement (BAM) and Botswana

People’s Party (BPP) who have no parliamentary seats. The democracy in Botswana

resembles that of South Africa. Elections are held every five years. Following the

country’s democracy, the Independent Electoral Commission’s secretary general, Gabriel

Seeletso has made it clear that wearing of party colors during voting is legal because it is

not in violation of the Electoral Act.

Having the British as their colonial masters, Botswana’s official language for

school, government and administrative work is English. Setswana is the second language

most widely spoken language and there are other languages spoken by each minority

group in Botswana. The Tswana people consider themselves as one people and there is

unity among its members. To protect Botswana’s wildlife, its government has made it
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clear that they will ban the commercial hunting of wildlife starting in 2014 due to its

decline in the population animals. Apart from diamonds, the nation is also an exporter of

beef, copper and nickel. The main agricultural produce is sorghum, maize and millet from

which Bogobe is made. “Bogobe is served soft and often soured for breakfast but served

thick for the mid-day and evening meal”(CultureGrams Africa, 15). A recent concern in

relation to HIV/AIDS teasing and discrimination in Botswana has been called by the

office of the president. Their goal is to reduce and getting to zero tolerance on teasing of

Botswana citizens who are battling the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Just like most African

nations, Botswana people enjoy sports, track and field activities as part of their

recreations. If you are looking for true African beauty, come with me let’s tour Botswana

and get to learn more about their natural resource and national parks.

The map of Botswana painted in green below

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The Physical Geography and Environment

Botswana, a landlocked country in Southern Africa is slightly smaller than the size

of Texas. Botswana covers an area of about 231,800 in square mile (600,370 square

kilometers) and borders South Africa, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. River courses

are found to the Eastern and Southern borders, while the Western borders comprise of

lines of longitude and latitude. The Northern border merges straight line projections

between distant beacons with a river course. Botswana has a relief and drainage system

that extends from the Chobe River in the north, to the Molopo River in the south. To the

east, it is drained by the Limpopo River and its tributaries namely; Ngotwane, Madikwe

and Shashe. Botswana has a mean altitude of about 3300 feet (1000 meters) above sea

level. Botswana’s land area is mostly flat, made up of sand-filled basin and gentle

undulating plains. There are some rocky outcrops found in the North-west regions. The

hardveld, sandveld and ancient lake bed regions are the three main environmental regions

in Botswana. Majority of Botswana’s population are concentrated at the hardveld region

where lots of economic activities take place. The hardveld regions are located in the

south-eastern and east-central parts of Botswana, comprising of undulating plains with

isolated hills made up of Precambrian rocks. It also holds areas of shallow sand. The

sandveld region is made up of deep Kalahari sands that cover about two thirds of the

country. The ancient lake beds cover the northwestern basin. Soil in the eastern hardveld

comprises of red loamy makata soils or mixed chalky and chawana soils. The sandveld is

made up of very dry light red to yellowish sands, with traces of dunes but covered with

grass or bush vegetation. The alluvial nature of the ancient lake beds are made of grey

loamy soils in the wetlands and grey green saline soils on the pans.
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Geographically, Botswana is divided into twelve administrative districts and

eighty town councils. Though Botswana is mostly covered with desert regions, there are

savannah and grasslands that hold wildebeest, antelopes, birds and other mammals. The

vegetation in the Chobe District of Botswana is covered with belts of indigenous forest

and dense bush due to high records of rainfall in that region. The Chobe national park is

credited with one of the highest concentration of elephants.

The picture shows the vegetation of Botswana and a small plant in dry grey soil.

Due to lack of rainfall and a huge land mass covered with deserts, Botswana is

mainly arid or semi-arid. The temperature in Botswana is mostly hot and dry throughout

the year. In the summer month, occasional rainfall makes weather conditions favorable to

some extent. The highest rainfall is recorded in the month of January and February but

rainfall patterns are inconsistent. The mean annual rainfall averages about 18 inches

(460mm) while the highest record is over 25 inches (640mm) in the Chobe district area

and lowest, 5 inches (130mm) in parts of the Kgalagardi District. The rainfall consists of

showers and thunderstorms. Summer in Botswana is mostly hot with varying

temperatures. The highest temperature during summer is over 93 degree Fahrenheit (34
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degree Celsius). During winter, the skies are mostly clear with dry conditions. The air

becomes warm during the day while early mornings and nights are characterized with

cold temperatures of about 37 degree Fahrenheit (2 degree Celsius) or lower.

Water storage and usage is very important in Botswana. The Okavango Delta and

Chobe River supplies about 95% of Botswana’s water to sustain plant life, livestock, and

human consumption. There are a few large dams, small water bodies and boreholes that

provide water. The Okavango Delta takes its source from Angola’s western highlands

and flows through Namibia. It is known to be the largest inland delta system in the world.

There is also a large salt pan called the Makgadikgadi pan which lies in the north-central

area.

From the above map you can see the source of the Okavango Delta directly flowing
from the Okavango River in Angola.

Overgrazing, desertification and drought are the major environmental problems in

Botswana. Also seasonal August wind blowing from the west, carry sand and dust that

obscures visibility in Botswana. Reasons that account for drought are due to inadequate

surface water bodies and low levels in rainfall. Natural geologic processes account for the

large area of desserts in Botswana. Due to lack of fertile soils to support plant growth,

about 95% of the population rear cattle’s and other livestock’s. Cattle rearing are very
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important to the people of Botswana because their livelihood depends on these cattle’s.

Certainly the huge production of cattle demands adequate grass for feeding. This high

demand for grasslands leads to overgrazing in Botswana. A large fraction of Botswana’s

land is under preservation. Areas such as the landscapes of the Kalahari, the Okavango

Delta and the Chobe area, are significant to the growth of tourism. Overgrazing in

Botswana can be blamed on traditional practices, but the people are left with no option

than raise cattle’s due to the nature of their land. Rather than finding alternatives, the

people are reliant on cattle production to generate income. Government needs to focus on

research programs to help find alternatives to cattle production.

The growth of industries can help reduce dependence on cattle production in

Botswana. The government of Botswana can partner with other neighboring nations like

South Africa and Angola to draw a development plan on building dams that can help

supply water for the Botswana people. Through this Botswana can build a good irrigation

system to help farmers improve crop production.

History and Political Geography

Before the coming of Europeans, Botswana was characterized by several

autonomous Kingdoms. Much of Botswana’s population migrated from South Africa.

Reports from a major genetic study identify the Botswana San Bushmen as the world’s

oldest human population. Based on artifacts, ritual and burial grounds, the San people

were said to have arrived first in the Kalahari and they lived as hunters and gatherers. The

San people lived in small groups or settlements scattered all over and did not have states.

The nature of their small groups facilitated their easy defeat during pre-colonial wars.
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The second century saw the arrival of the Khoi herders and Bantu farmers. Archeological

evidence show iron working and farming during these periods. Later in the fourteenth

century, Tswana speakers were forced to move northward from the cape area in South

Africa. The Tswana people came with agricultural, iron-working practices and also a

different dialect. The Tswana people were a threat to the San and Khoi people because

they had more sophisticated tools than the Stone Age materials used by the San and Khoi

for their hunting, gathering and herding activities. The bush men (San people) later

moved deep into the Kalahari Desert where farming was not favorable. Events of the

Zulu wars and turmoil in the early 1800s caused larger groups of the Tswana people to

move further north into Botswana. The pre-colonial states were mainly lost through

invasions. What was internal competition might have counted for the loss of the Tswana

states. As time went on, different tribes were established from the Tswana group. During

the several invasions which led to collapse of states, some of the groups that recovered to

organize states were the Bangwato and the Bakwena. They formed large chiefdoms, and

from the Bangwato group, came the Khama family.

The first London Missionary society established its first mission at Kuruman in

1817. Before the coming of the missionary society, the Botswana people were

traditionalist who had their own belief and practice system. “Van der Lingen, a

missionary, refers to the ‘perverseness’ of the Bechuanas ‘who would not receive

Christian instruction’. Another missionary, John Kok, said the Bechuanas were prone to

anger, artful, suspicious, and warlike” (Bechuanaland, 3). Khama the great led the

Bagamangwato or the Bangwato tribe, and became the first convert to Christianity.

Khama built a united Botswana nation by bringing many other Tswana tribes together.
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After series of invasion and the Boer war, Khama and other Tswana chiefs requested for

protection from the British in 1885. The Bechuanaland protectorate was formed under the

administration of the British. Some of the lands settled by the Europeans were the

Lobatsi, Gaberones and Tuli blocks in the east, where the chiefs ceded land in connection

with the construction of the railway in 1895. “European farmers also have land rights in

the far west Ghanzi settlements under an agreement engineered by Cecil Rhodes in 1899

and extended by the Bechuanaland government in 1959”(Bechuanaland, p.6). Despite the

agreement which ceded lands to the British and protectorate over Bechuanaland, the

paramount chiefs had wide latitude in the management of their own people.

During the heights of the British rule, Muslim immigrants from South Asia settled

in Botswana. The Islamic population in Botswana is very minute, about one percent of

the total population. Though there exist misunderstanding between the indigenous,

Christians and Muslims, they relatively lived in peace and free to practice their religion.

Seretse Khama, a successor from the generation of the great Khama, became chief

of the Bangwato tribe which accounted for majority of the Tswana people. He was

learned, a law student at the Inner Temple in London and well respected. His marriage to

Miss Ruth Williams was not accepted by his uncle, Tshekedi Khama. Following pressure

from South Africa against his marriage to a British woman, the British colonial

administration exiled the Khama and his uncle to the United Kingdom. “The

Bamangwato refusal in 1956 to discuss a mining agreement unless both Khama’s were

present undoubtedly influenced the British government to review the bans imposed”

(Lesotho, Botswana & Swaziland, 138). In 1956, Seretse Khama’s exile was revoked and
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he was asked to return to Bechuanaland on a condition that he renounces the chieftaincy

which was later resolved.

The first political party organized in Bechuanaland was led by K.T. Motsete in

1960, followed by the creation of an Executive Council, a Consultative Legislative

Council, and an African Council in 1961. This form of governance was to serve as the

first constitution created by the British. Ultimately this led to the creation of the

Bechuanaland Democratic Party, led by Seretse Khama in 1962. With this, came the

acceptance by the British for a democratic self-government in June 1964. The

Bechuanaland Democratic Party or what is now the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP)

won the first general election and Botswana was granted independence on 30th September

1966. Seretse Khama became the first president of Botswana. Seretse Khama held three

office terms and died on 13th July 1980, he was succeeded by the vice president Dr. Quett

Ketumile Joni Masire. Another general election held in 1984 was won by BDP and

Ketumile Masire remained president. In 1985, South African forces who alleged were

seeking ANC members, raided building in Gaborone. 12 people lost their lives in the raid

and this action was condemned by the United Nations Security Council. President

Ketumile Masire won the general elections in 1989 and 1994 to retain his presidency. In

1997, a constitutional amendment was approved, presidency is limited to a two, five-year

term and voting age was lowered from 21 to 18 years. President Masire resigns in 1998

and vice president Festus Mogae became president under the constitution. Festus Mogae

was confirmed as president after the October 1999 general elections, which BDP again

won majority votes. In December of 1999, the International Court of Justice granted
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control of Sedudu-Kasikili River Island to Botswana. This river island was disputed by

Botswana and Namibia.

To resolve and reduce HIV/AIDS problem in Botswana, President Festus Mogae

announced that Aids drug will be free of charge from 2001. International media reported

that Botswana in 2001 had the highest HIV/AIDS infection rate at 38.3 percent of the

population. In March of 2004 the HIV/AIDS infection rate was reduced to 37.5%. In

October 2004, president Mogae won a second term in office with majority vote. Among

the parties contested were the Botswana National Front (BNF), Botswana Congress Party

(BCP), Botswana Alliance Movement (BAM), Botswana Peoples Party (BPP), MELS

Movement of Botswana (MELS), Botswana Tlhoko Tiro Organization (BTTO) and

Botswana Independent Party (BIP). Following regulations to keep the Bushmen from

their ancestral lands, they took the government to court and won a four year legal rights

to their ancestral lands. President Mogae resigns in 2008 and the son of the first president

of Botswana, Seretse Khama Ian Khama becomes president and also wins the October

2009 election to retain his presidency. The outcome of the election is listed below.

16 October 2009 National Assembly Election

Registered Voters 725,817
Total Votes (Voter 555,308 (76.5%)
Turnout)
Invalid/Blank Votes   10,661
Total Valid Votes 544,647
Number of
Party Number of Votes % of Votes
Seats (57)*
Botswana Democratic Party
290,099 53.26% 45
(BDP)
Botswana National Front
119,509 21.94% 6
(BNP)
Botswana Congress Party
104,302 19.15% 4
(BCP)
Botswana Alliance Movement
12,387 2.27% 1
(BAM)
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Botswana People's Party

7,554 1.39% -
(BPP)
MELS Movement of
292 0.05% -
Botswana (MELS)
Botswana Tlhoko Tiro
40 0.01% -
Organisation (BTTO)
Independents 10,464 1.92% 1
*In addition, four members were indirectly elected; it should be remembered that the
President and Attorney General are ex-officio members of the National Assembly.

Unlike many African nations, Botswana has never had any military coups and

Corruption is relatively not an issue in Botswana. Botswana has enjoyed a multi-party

democracy since it gained independence from the British in 1966 and what makes their

system of governance unique is incorporating the traditional council into their

government. There have always been peaceful transition of leadership and this attribute

make Botswana one of the long standing democracies in Africa. Despite the long

standing democracy in Botswana, a huge percentage or the population are born into

abject poverty. The government of Botswana needs to focus more into creating a majority

middle class to balance distribution of wealth in Botswana. Much of what is happening in

other parts of the African continent is not far from Botswana. The current president needs

to focus on research programs to help come up with option to solving drought related

issues in Botswana.

Culture and Population Geography

In one emblem, we can refer to the culture and language of Botswana people as

Setswana. The Tswana people happen to be the majority ethnic group in Botswana.

Among the Botswana people, there are Bantu, Khoisan and Indo-European languages.

The most widely spoken language in Botswana is Setswana which originates from the
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Tswana ethnic group. Setswana is the national language while English is the official

language. Most people in Botswana are bilingual, about 90% of the population speaks

Setswana. There are other ethnic groups such as Bakalanga, Basarwa, Babirwa, Basubiya

and Hambukusha who have their own language, not similar to Setswana.

Religion or spiritual societies play an important role in the daily lives of the

Botswana people. Before the European Missionaries arrived in Botswana, the Tswana

people worshiped Modimo, a supreme being who represented their ancestors. They

prayed to and offered sacrifices to Modimo. The Kalanga and Vendu ethnic group

worship a High God known as Ngwale or Mwari. During the late nineteenth century,

Christianity was established as the official religion among ethnic groups such as the

Tswana, Kwena, Ngwato, and Kgatla. The two main churches were the London

Missionary Society and the Dutch Reform Mission. The Anglican Church, Seventh Day

Adventist and Roman Catholic Church disrupted the old Missions and attendance has

declined rapidly. Currently there are several Christian denomination Churches in

Botswana. The country is predominantly Christian, with less than one percent Muslim

population and about six percent traditional religion practitioners. Also, there are few

Hindu and Baha’i religions in Botswana.

Polygamy was practiced in Botswana, people held pre-arranged marriages, mostly

after the men and women complete their initiation rites which ushers them into

adulthood. This basically signifies they are ready to take responsibilities in their

respective societies. Today, Botswana societies have grown into a more contemporary

society and this allows for personal choices in marriage partners. The marriage

arrangements are the responsibility of the groom’s uncle and negotiated over a period of
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time between the bride and groom’s family. The payment of a dowry called the bogadi by

the groom’s family to the bride still exists today. This is a very important aspect of the

marriage ceremony which signifies the readiness of the groom’s family to commence the

marriage ceremony. Dowry prices defer among various groups but often it is seven cows,

one representing each day of the week. The dowry may comprise a combination of cows,

livestock and cash payment. There is a fix date accepted by both families for paying the

bride price and once the groom family pays the pride price, the marriage is sealed and the

ceremony takes place. In the rural communities, everyone is expected to attend the

marriage ceremony while the cities may take forms of invitation but families involved are

expected to attend. Today most civil marriages are registered in court and Church

weddings are becoming more common. The various ethnic groups have different lines of

inheritance. Among the Baherero it’s matrilineal while other groups are patrilineal. The

senior males are traditional heads of the family and are tasked with representing the

family to the larger society. Though this authority still holds, much has been diffused,

giving authority to young educated men and those who have more skills in agriculture to

represent the family to outside bureaucracies. Today, about half of Botswana households

are headed by women. Societies are changing rapidly as development is taking place.

Just like other Southern African countries in Africa, child birth, naming

ceremonies, and death rites could be expensive and most often societies join hands in

contributing to these rites of passage. During the first pregnancy and birth, the mother of

the baby is usually assisted by her mother and during subsequent child births, the mother-

in-law may be present to advise the mother. Among the Tswana ethnic groups, there are

certain taboos for pregnant women. These taboos are believed to enhance or help in
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proper development of the baby in the mother’s womb. Pregnant women are not allowed

to eat intestines and liver of farm animals and are not allowed to drink alcohol for fear of

child deformity and difficulty in child birth. After birth, the child is kept from public

view for three months. After the confinement period, naming ceremony is performed.

Foods, music, dance and craft also plays an important role among the Botswana

people. The Khoisan people who have mainly inherited the Kalahari deserts are primarily

hunters and herders, while the Bantu tribes, notably the Tswana people are mainly

herders and agricultural society. In the past, men were responsible for cow herding and

hunting while women gathered wild fruits and vegetables for food. Millet and sorghum

porridge are the most prepared and eaten meal in Botswana. Maize and rice imports have

also served important food sources today. Among the Khoisan people, an immense

underground tuber and edible fungus known as the Kalahari truffle serves as a source of

food. Traditional drinks include palm wine, extremely potent swill, and kgadi made from

distilled brown sugar or fungus. Also inexpensive sorghum beer are locally made and

served. Today all kinds of drinks are sold and distributed throughout Botswana.

There is a cordial link between traditional folklore and modern music and dance in

Botswana. Folklore music is mainly vocal and accompanied by clapping of hands to

produce a rhythmic sound at heart-beat pace. Traditional folklore music uses string

instruments like segaba, segankure and setinkane. Gumba-gumba is the most popular

form of Botswana music. The Gumba-gumba is a modernized form of Zulu and Tswana

music, fused with traditional jazz music. Kwasa Kwasa music is also popular among the

Botswana people. This style of music is accompanied by a dance, a leg routine with
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movement of the hips and buttocks. Currently the youth enjoy hip hop, rock and jazz

music.

Craft also plays an important role in Botswana’s culture. Women, especially in

North-western Botswana, weave baskets with Makola Palm and use local dyes to give it a

color. The baskets are used for storage purposes, winnowing pounded grains and carrying

market produce. Other artistic communities include Thamaga pottery and Oodi Weavers

in the southeastern part of Botswana. This crafts have been enhanced with improved

designs and sold on local and commercial markets.

Culture is not an impediment to economic growth in Botswana, rather culture is a

platform on which societies develops. Economic growth in Botswana is aided by culture

values. Botswana is the least corrupt country in Africa and has held a very good position

internationally as well. Cultural values have helped achieved this high standards. Despite

these achievements, there are still poverty and HIV/AIDS problems that needs to be

addressed. Conditions need to be improved in villages and rural areas. This will help

preserve the cherished culture in Botswana and boost economic development.

The United Nations has estimated Botswana’s population at 2 million as of 2012.

Out of the total population, 50.5 percent are males and 49.5 percent females. The age

structure is as follows: 0-14 years at 33.5%, 15-24 years at 21.9%, 25-54 years at 36.4%,

55-64 years at 4.2% and over 65 years at 3.9%. The total fertility rate stands at 2.46 per

woman, while birth rate is at 22.02 per 1000 population and death rate at 12 deaths per

1000 population. The total infant mortality rate stands at 10.49 deaths per 1000 live birth.

Maternal mortality rate is at 160 deaths per 1000 live births. Life expectancy at birth for

male population is 56.9 years, female population is 54.5 years and the total population
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stands at 55.7 years. Literacy rate, focus on 15 years and over who can read and write out

of the total population is at 84.5% and the net migration rate is 4.8 per 1000 population.

Population Pyramid of Botswana, 2012.

Development/Transport, Communication and Information Technology

Transport, communication and information technology contribute greatly to

development in Botswana. As a landlocked country, the main forms of transportation in

Botswana are road, air and rail.

Road transport is the most widely used system of transportation in Botswana. As

the center for Southern Africa Development Community (SADC), Botswana roads serve

as pivot transit points for the movement and distribution of goods and services among its

neighbors. There are about 16,030 miles (25,798 kilometers) of paved roads in Botswana,

bringing the percentage of total paved roads to about 32.60 in 2005. The Trans-Kalahari
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Highway is a paved road, providing direct routes from Walvis Bay and Windhoek in

central Namibia through Botswana, to Johannesburg and Pretoria in South Africa. The

road stretches about 1,180 miles (1,900 kilometers) and was opened in 1998 to boost

economic activities in Southern Africa. A total of about 6,959 miles (11,200 kilometers)

account for unpaved and graveled road surfaces in Botswana. Generally the roads in

Botswana are kept in good conditions with very few potholes. Passenger transport

services are mainly operated by citizens of Botswana. The acquisition of the necessary

license is very important for the operation of transport services in Botswana. Below is a

picture of the Trans-Kalahari Highway running through Botswana.

Air transport is also significant in the development of Botswana’s economy. Safe,

reliable and frequent air services within Botswana and neighboring countries as well as

other parts of the world are very important for securing foreign investment in Botswana.

The major foreign investments include construction, manufacturing and tourism. With the

opening of the Sir Seretse Khama International Airport in 1984, air transport was widely
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embraced. The Department of Civil Aviation regulates air transport in Botswana, under

the supervision of the Ministry of Works and Transport. Government backed airlines and

small private owned aircrafts are the two main operators in aircraft business in Botswana.

Air Botswana is the only government owned airline. After several years of reaping loss in

the air industry, Botswana is currently making profit in air transport, mainly through

tourism.

Rail transport, despite its set back, still accounts for major means of carrying bulk

cargo in Botswana. There are 551 miles (888 kilometers) of 3 feet, 6 inches gauge

railway, operating in few towns and connecting Botswana to its neighboring countries.

The Botswana railway is a state owned freight service that supplies services to companies

extracting precious minerals. Building new rail lines will go a long way to help the

mining firms in Botswana and help in the movement of goods and services efficiently to

enhance economic growth. The picture below shows the Botswana railways

The widespread of information in Botswana is enhanced by the internet, radio,

television and cell phone companies. The content and amount of information released to

the public in Botswana is controlled by the government. The Ministry of Information

regulates the operations of both the public and private media. Information’s that are deem
Togbetse 21

undesirable are prevented from public view and hearing. In the big towns and cities, one

can locate internet cafés easily. The rate for browsing in a café cost 10 pula (about$1.16)

for an hour. Mascom, Orange and Be Mobile are the three main cell phone companies in

Botswana. Cell phone subscriptions rose from 2,900,263 in 2011 to 3,081,726 in 2012

with internet subscription rising from 254,649 in 2011 to 591,252 in 2012. With the

widespread of internet on cell phones, people are able to check their mails and browse on

the internet with ease. The Department of Information Technology (DIT) is currently

under the Ministry of Transport and Communications. The DIT is a facilitator and

administrator of information and communication technology services in the public sector.

The department provides services such as website hosting for governments, e-mail

connectivity, internet access and also advises the government Ministries on Information,

Communication and Technology. The establishment of the Telecommunication and

Postal Services in 2004 is tasked with a universal service and access policy to cover the

whole communication sector, including telecommunication, internet services, postal

services, broadcast and print media services. The goal is to provide these services to all

parts of Botswana.

The rate of hacking information from personal computers, company computers and

network remain high in Botswana. Currently mobile devices, especially mobile phones

are new targets for hackers in Botswana. With the introduction of mobile banking in

Botswana, lots of people have banking details stored on their mobile phones and hacking

these files are easily enhanced with free application downloads. The government is

working tirelessly with foreign expertise to come up with ways of tracking hackers and

strengthening the communication, information and technology systems in Botswana. This

Togbetse 22

will create some security measures to secure government and public information’s from

been hacked easily.

With wide spread of information, communication and technology in Botswana, the

future of Botswana people and their development is moving at a fast pace. Computer and

internet access in schools are rising and this will enhance learning abilities in the

classrooms and connecting students to the outside world to enhance exchange programs.

E-books and online resources will help broaden learning in Botswana. The rise in

information technology will help get enough data on the people of Botswana in regards to

population size, to aid adequate provision of the necessary services the people need. Also

this will help create a strong data base system to help the government monitor and

implement developmental projects.

URBANIZATION

Since Botswana attained independence, the structures of settlement pattern have

changed drastically. At the time of independence, Gaborone, Francistown and Lobatse

were the only three towns in Botswana. During this period, about 4 percent of the

country’s population lived in urban areas. In 1981, the urban population in Botswana rose

up to 18 percent of the national population. By 1991 and 2001, the urban population had

increased to 46 and 52 percent respectively. The current urban population rate has

reached about 61% of the total population. The urban growth rate in Botswana is 2.3

percent annually.
Togbetse 23

The above graph shows the percentage urban population growth rate in Botswana. The

graph shows a rapid increase from 1980 to 1990 and vast growth rate from 1990 to 2010.

The principal cities in Botswana are Gaborone, Francistown, Molepolole, Maun,

Mogoditshane and Serowe. Gaborone with a population of over 250,000 people,

represent the primate city in Botswana as compared to Francistown with a population of

about 100,000. Gaborone is the capital of Botswana and also represents the economic

capital of its government. Gaborone is headquarters to many companies such as

Botswana Stock Exchange and Southern African Development Community (SADC).

There are malls and several business establishments in the center of Gaborone, which

represents its downtown. Gaborone also holds the National Museum and Art Gallery.

The Three Dikgosi Monument is a sculpture of Khama III, Sebele I and Bathoen I,

located in the Central business district of Gaborone. The statue represents the three great

chiefs who played major roles to help Botswana win independence. The Gaborone dam

which supplies water to its inhabitants is located in the Southeast of the city. The Princess

Marina Hospital, one of the main hospitals in Botswana is also located in Gaborone. Sir
Togbetse 24

Seretse Khama International Airport is located to the north and about 10 kilometers (6.3

miles) from Gaborone. The streets of Gaborone are mainly tarred with bitumen.

Francistown is the second largest city in Botswana. This city was a site for South

Africa’s first gold-rush and currently Francistown is surrounded by old and abandoned

mines. Francistown is shaped with decent restaurants, modern shopping malls, petrol

stations, hotels, nightclubs and bars. Francistown also has one of Botswana’s referral

hospitals. Francistown holds three of the four diamond mines in Botswana.Damtshaa

Diamond Mine is located to the West of Francistown, Letlhakane diamond mine also

located in the west of Francistown and Orapa diamond mine also located west of

Francistown. All these mines are over 75 miles away from Francistown.

Slums are a huge problem in Botswana, especially in Gaborone due to low level

income, high levels of poverty and high urbanization rates. In 2001, it was estimated that

about 61% of the urban population in Botswana are residing in slums despite been a

middle income economy. Housing is a big problem in these slums. The fringes of

Gaborone city have very high numbers of low cost housings. This ranges from poorly

built apartment to single units built with no proper planning.

Geography of Heath care, Gender and Inequalities

In 2012, a progressive judge ruled in Botswana’s high court to get rid of customary

male inheritance rights. The court ruling has scraped out discrimination against gender in

Botswana. In the past, senior males were the traditional heads of the household,

responsible for mediating internal affairs and representing the group to a larger society.

By 1991, almost half of households in Botswana were headed by women. Botswana

Togbetse 25

signed the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women

(CEDAW) in 1996 and since then there have been a push to amending laws to promote

rights of women. Despite this push in reform, Botswana still lacks women candidates in

their elections.

The table above shows how poorly women were represented in Botswana’s parliament

and cabinet from 1994 to 2007. Surprisingly the 2009 general elections had 403,000

women registered to vote compared to 320,000 men. Recent accounts have shown that

there is a remarkable increase in the number of women in Botswana’s decision making.

About 45 percent of women currently hold decision making positions in Botswana.

Botswana is praised for having one of the highest literacy rates in the world. This

remarkable achievement in high literacy rate shows how Botswana has invested in

education with her diamond export revenues.

1993 National Literacy Rates by Sex and Age Group (graph 1)

Togbetse 26

Graph 1 shows literacy rate conducted in 1993 by sex and age groups. The highest

literacy rates were among ages between 15 to 24 years, and out of that, female literacy

rates show the highest with 92.3% against 85.8% males and the national literacy rate

showing 89.5% of the same age category.

Botswana, like most Southern African counties have high rates in HIV/AIDS

which causes greater deaths in Botswana. The population of Botswana is about 2 million

and the 2009 HIV/AIDS adult (aged 15-49) prevalence rate is 24.8%. The total number of

people living with HIV/AIDS as of 2012 is about 320,000 of the total population.

% Of Total DALYs-2004
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
ns es t % Of Total DALYs-2004
DS as sis on
s
igh
a ts
rie
s
on
s
/AI ctio e u lo iti e aum iden ju iti
V fe is rc d w Tr c In d
HI In alD be C on irth th Ac al con
r y e Tu l b i r c o n r
to o a B ffi e
ra r rh e rn w er & T ra enti o th
i a t ia t
sp Di a Lo x oa
d in &
r re M
y & phy R Un o ns
t r
we ur
i As he cti
Lo at i r th Ot In fe
em B al
Pr n at
o
Ne
Graph 2.
From graph two, the ten leading causes of death in Botswana with percentage of total

Disability Adjusted Life Year, quantifying the burden of diseases are: HIV/AIDS is

highest with 50.5%, lower respiratory infections 4.3%, diarrhea diseases 3.7%,

prematurity and lower birth weight 3.1%, birth asphyxia and birth trauma 2.5%, neonatal

infections and other conditions 2.3%, maternal conditions 2.1%, tuberculosis 1.9%, other

unintentional injuries 1.9% and road traffic accidents 1.5%.

Togbetse 27

The health care system in Botswana is made up of public, private for profit, private

non-profit and traditional medicine services. The public sector controls and dominates the

health care system operating about 98% of the health care facilities in Botswana. The

health care services provided are decentralized through the district level and run by

network of health facilities including referral hospitals, primary hospitals, clinics and

health care post under the Ministry of Health. Health care facilities can be assessed

within a 5 mile (8 kilometer) radius. Those outside the 5mile radius, especially in remote

areas, have access to over 800 mobile health service providers.

Table 2.
Togbetse 28

Total Health Workers and Densities in 2007-Botswana

Table 3.

Density per
Density per
1000
Categories Number 1000
population/
population
Afro
Physicians 76 0.04 0,22
Nurses and midwives 1, 856 1.03 1,17
Dentists and technicians 2 0.00 0,04
Pharmacists and technicians 78 0.04 0,06
Environmental, and public health 70 0.04 0,05
Laboratory technicians 40 0.02 0,06
Other health workers 89 0.05 0,17
Community health No data No data 0,45
Management and support 3, 868 2.15 0,41
Total 6 079 3.39 2,63

Table 2 shows the number of health care facilities in Botswana. Mobile post facilities are

the highest and referral hospitals the least in the country. Table 3 shows total number of

health workers and densities data for 2007 per 1,000 populations. Management and

support, nurses and midwives are the highest among the data collected. The number of

nurses and midwives personnel density has increased to 26 per 10,000 populations as of

2009. The government of Botswana needs to invest a little more in their health care

services by training more health workers to meet the population demands and increasing

referral hospital.

What is termed as a nominal fee of $70 is charged for health care services in the

public sector but there is no denial of health service if one cannot afford to pay. Sexual

reproductive health service and antiretroviral services are free throughout the country.

This was a program engineered by President Festus Mugae’s administration to tackle the

prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Botswana. Botswana has one of the world’s highest

Togbetse 29

HIV/AIDS prevalence rates but with the free antiretroviral service in place, progress has

been made.

Graph 3.

Graph 3 above shows government expenditure on health from the total government

expenditure. In the year 2000 the percentage was 6.9% of government expenditure but we

see an increase in 2007 to 13%, higher than the total African regions.

There have been significant improvements in health due to adequate government

expenditure on health care. Has the government done enough for Botswana’s health care

system? Are there other options the government can promote to help solve the HIV/AIDS

prevalence rate?

AGRICULTURE AND INDUSTRY

The agricultural sector of Botswana involves crop and livestock production. The

agricultural dominance of Botswana’s economy was drastically reduced from about 80%

to 2% shortly after its independence. Distribution of income in the agricultural sector

Togbetse 30

does not favor crop producers in Botswana, leading to subsistence farming as the

dominant practice of agricultural activity to provide food, income and employment.

Sorghum, maize, millet, beans, sunflower seeds and groundnuts (peanuts) are the main

food crops grown in Botswana.

Figure 1.

The above chart, with the section in light purple shows agriculture as the least

contribution to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). The percentage shown is 2%

and out of that, 80% of the contribution is mainly made up of livestock production.

Botswana’s livestock is mainly characterized by cattle, sheep and goat production.

Botswana is well known for its beef export. The total number of herds nationally is about

3.2 million but current accounts show reduction in herds.

One of the main factors that undermine agricultural production in Botswana,

especially crop production is due desertification and unpredictable rainfall pattern. The

Kalahari Desert covers huge portion of Botswana’s land and hardly supports plant

growth. The soil is poor, especially in the desert regions. Diseases also affect agricultural
Togbetse 31

production in Botswana. The country mainly imports grains from South Africa to

supplement food supply. Food is also imported from European countries and this cost the

Botswana government millions of dollars. The huge nature of herds compared to the

small arable lands in Botswana gives rise to overgrazing. Desertification and drought are

huge problems in Botswana. To tackle these problems, the government has implemented

research programs for the study of Botswana’s agricultural lands to come up with ways of

improving soil fertility. Findings from these research programs have shown that grape

fruits will be suitable for Botswana’s land. Many efforts are underway to construct

boreholes and dams to boost water supply in Botswana for its citizens and to aid

agricultural production as well.

Botswana is well known for its diamond mining and heavily relies on diamond

export for growing the economy. Diamond contributes about 40% to the country’s GDP.

Figure 1 above shows the percentage in blue. Botswana has one of the world’s largest

gem diamond mines and is currently mentioned as the world’s leading producer of

diamond by value. Diamond mining accounts for 45% of government revenue and 75%

of export earnings. How did Botswana grow her economy on diamonds? The success

story is told right after independence. Good leadership and negotiations landed Botswana

a 50/50 deal with De Beers Investments. The proceeds have been used to build the

country’s economy. Apart from diamonds, some export commodities include copper,

nickel, soda ash, coal, silver, cobalt, gold and salt.

Tourism is a fast growing industry in Botswana, currently contributing 12% to the

country’s GDP. The world’s largest inland delta, the Okavango Delta supports wildlife in

Botswana. The Chobe National Park has one of the largest concentrations of game in
Togbetse 32

Africa. This beautiful park is well known for high density of elephants. The government

of Botswana is keen on conservation of forests to support wildlife.

Figure 2.

The picture in figure 2 shows the Okavango Delta above and below is the Chobe National

Park with elephants and Zebras and a group of tourists enjoying site seeing in the park.

Other industries include textile, basket weaving, and general arts and crafts. The

government of Botswana is currently shifting gears to promote diversification of its

economy. To bring this idea to light, the government has lowered cooperate tax to 15%

and there are no prohibition on foreign ownership of companies. The private sector will

work hand in hand with the public sector to provide services to the people of Botswana.

The Ministry of Agriculture controls Botswana’s agricultural industry through

various departments like the Department of Corporate Service (DCS), Department of

Crop Production (DCP), Department of Animal Production (DAP) and Department of

Animal Research (DAR).

Globalization, Regional Integration and National Sovereignty

Togbetse 33

Botswana has an open door policy on trade, technology, investment, capital and

labor market to the outside world. The big question is what effect does this play on

Botswana’s economy? Located in the south of the African continent, Botswana is an

active member of the Southern African Development Community (SADC). Botswana

plays a vital role in the SADC as it headquarters the organization. The goal of the SADC

in 1980 was purely based on development such as strengthening the political, social and

economic activities among its member states. The 15 member states of the SADC are

Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Botswana, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi,

Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia,

Zimbabwe and Tanzania. The moving of SADC into the global economy in 1992 was to

focus on ‘free trade’. By ‘free trade’, the member states were to allow free penetration

into their economies by the outside world. The agreement signed with developed

countries such as United States of America under the African Growth and Opportunity

Act (AGOA II), allows both countries to access their markets. Also the Economic

Partnership Agreement with the European Union came with features such as a goods

market access deal with Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique and Swaziland, characterized

by duty-free access into their economies. Trade barriers were to be removed as well to

allow the free flow of goods and services. Botswana signed the Interim Economic

Partnership Agreement (EPA) in June of 2009 and is enjoying duty free and quota free

access for her products into the European markets. Botswana has benefited massively

from her beef export. Botswana is also a member of the World Trade Organizations

(WTO).
Togbetse 34

On the other hand, concerns of competition with European goods among SADC

member states has been labeled as potential problem for SADC members. The focus on

promoting free trade among SADC states could only exist but not in practice. To meet the

agreement on international trading rules, compliance such as devaluation of the pula

(Botswana’s currency) and increase in interest rates has led to inflation in Botswana.

Despite facts that Botswana’s economy remains one of the world’s fastest growing

economies, the unfortunate situation is unemployment rates are high and poverty is a big

problem facing the citizens of Botswana. Botswana relies heavily on imported goods due

to lack of manufacturing industries.

CONCLUSION

Despite the great achievements in maintaining a long lasting democracy, good

leadership, having one of the world’s highest literacy rates and transforming from a poor

country to one of the fastest growing economies in the world, the people of Botswana still

face many challenges. Inequality, discrimination, extreme poverty, high HIV/AIDS

prevalence rate, desertification and water shortages are among the many challenges

facing citizens in Botswana today. The government of Botswana can partner with

pharmaceutical companies to embark on research programs and create enough awareness

on HIV/AIDS to curb the HIV/AIDS prevalence rate. Another area the needs careful

study is traditional medicine. Who knows, they might have some answers to resolving

this HIV/AIDS problem in Botswana and Africa as a whole.

Life in the big cities and towns are gradually improving but poverty levels remain

high in rural areas because the distribution of wealth is unequal and the people living in
Togbetse 35

rural areas are mainly subsistence farmers who have lost most of their farm lands to

desertification. They mainly depend on the rains for their crop production and animal

rearing. The weather conditions are not favorable due to the semi-arid nature of their

climate and rainfall patterns are unpredictable.

The government of Botswana has initiated programs to help diversify their

economy and not solely depend on diamonds to grow their economy. Tourism is

increasing and private firms are emerging to help achieve the goals to diversify their

economy. Urban bias is on the increase, developments favor the big cities. Many firms,

shopping malls, high rise buildings, hospitals and schools are located in the big cities like

Gaborone, the country’s capital city. Development needs to reach towns and rural areas

accordingly to help reduce over burden of population on the big cities.

To keep Botswana’s success story alive, the government needs to improve living

conditions for their citizens. Human resource is one of the greatest assets a country can

have to help grow their economy. The government needs to focus on housing, improving

water supply, strengthening the health system, improving sanitation and helping to reduce

the burden of diseases. The creation of jobs is also important to helping improve living

conditions in Botswana. Because through the creation of jobs, people will get work to do,

earn a living and improve their conditions.

Togbetse 36

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