Rural Development in Botswana: Administrative Structures and Public Policy

Abstract

When Botswana gained its independence as nation in 1966, it inherited from colonial administration system of district administration which was prefectoral in nature and local government system which was modeled on that of Britain.1 At head of district was district commissioner (D.C.), who was epitome of British colonial rule during colonial period. After independence, Botswana administrators were forced to ask some hard questions about how these inherited institutions could be utilized to implement stated policy intentions of rural development at district level. This paper examines policy-making process in Botswana between 1970 and 1974 as political and elites attempted to address these questions. My specific concern is evolution in Botswana of rural development policy. Focus is on decision-making process at national level and on rural development policy which came out of that decision-making process. Botswana has been described as an administrative state in which the social order is indistinguishable from order.2 As Parson points out, ruling political coalition in Botswana represents a coalition of educated, cattle-owning elite committed to programme of rapid economic growth and development of non-racial democratic state.3 Administrative elites and political elites can be little differentiated in terms of their economic background, and