#Botswanan politics

[dailyanarchistposts]

CONCLUSION: MAY DAY TODAY

The Haymarket Tragedy remains a symbol of countless struggles against capitalism, the state and oppression. Freedoms won in recent times rest on the sacrifices of martyrs like the IWPA anarchists and the struggles of Botswana’s workers.

May Day is a symbol of the unshakeable power of working class solidarity and of remembrance. It must continue to serve as a rallying point for new anti-capitalist, participatory-democratic left resistance.

We need to defend and extend the legacy of the Haymarket affair – to build the working class as a power-from-below for social change.

FURTHER READING

For an in-depth analysis of anarchism’s roots and global history: Schmidt, M. & van der Walt, L. (2009). Black Flame: The Revolutionary Class Politics of Anarchism and Syndicalism. AK Press: San Francisco

[psychotrenny]

This sort of tweet really annoys me with its how, despite it's supposedly "progressive" viewpoint, it distorts and mangles actual history in order to create a neater narrative that actually weakens one's ability to understand and therefore change the world

Like Apartheid South African and Contemporary Israel have a lot in common; both are white supremacist apartheid Settler States that are intimately tied to and heavily supported by international Imperialist Capitalism (as headed by the USA). They also enjoyed friendly relations with each other and regularly shared ideas and technology, so you have active mutual influence on top of natural convergent evolution. Comparison, as well as contrast, between each regime is a useful way to understand how these sorts of systems function. And yes, observing past trends in one system can help us predict the future of another

But like South Africa and Israel also have a vast number of differences; from their specific relationship with future designs for the peoples they oppressed, to the state of their regional neighbours as well as the overall extent to which other imperialists were willing to openly support them. And these differences in circumstance lead to significant differences in policy.

Like the fact of the matter is this tweet is incredibly misleading; it implies the Apartheid regime of South Africa somehow went berserk in the final years of it's existence when like this political intervention in their northern neighbours had been South African policy since the 1960s. Even before the independence of Angola or Zimbabwe (as well as Mozambique) the South African government had invested considerable sums of money and manpower into propping up the Portuguese and Rhodesian White Settler regimes against the pressure of Anti-Imperial Socialist resistance movements. After the end of Portuguese rule in Africa in 1974 (as their colonial wars drove them bankrupt and exacerbated domestic problems to the point that the Fascist regime found itself overthrown by a Leftist military coup) the South Africans then switched to supporting armed movements of local reactionaries and compradors like UNITA in Angola (which already had a long history of collaboration with the Portuguese) and later RENAMO in Mozambique (whose initial formation was one of the Rhodesian CIO's last significant achievements).

South African attempts to overthrow the Angolan revolutionary government, launching several major offensives with their own ground troops alongside their UNITA puppets while offering plentiful supply, funding and air support to UNITA outside of this, had been policy for as long as there was an Angolan Revolutionary Government to overthrow. And while their had less luck finding useful allies to destabilise Zimbabwe, their cross-border raids were simply an extension of their previous support for Rhodesia. Meanwhile their violations of Zambian sovereignty also were a consistent policy dating back to the 60s due to the Zambian Socialist government's mostly consistent support for the Anti-Imperial resistance movements of Southern Africa. While a deterioration of their relationship with Botswana was a later development, this was mainly a result of political pressure from both other African nations and their own citizens for the Bourgeoisie Botswanan government to stop collaborating with South Africa and to tolerate the presence of anti-apartheid fighters in their territory.

The whole "set-up a puppet government in Namibia" is the most misleading part of all. It implies that Namibia was some sort of independent nation they tried to subvert, and not a colonised territory they outright occupied (de facto since 1922, de jure since 1946; either way since before even the formal inauguration of nation-wide Apartheid in 1948). The attempts to set up a puppet government in Nambia were a direct de-escalation of South African involvement in the territory, prompted by the costly resistance offered by SWAPO and their Angolan Allies. Like if anything the very last years of Apartheid saw a de-escalation of South Africa's aggressive foreign policy, as the social and economic costs of their multiple intense wars had weakened the country and brought the regime close and closer to collapse while even among the Afrikaner Conservatives there was a growing recognition that some sort of compromise with Black Africa was necessary to secure any sort of survival.

And like there were very real material reasons for this, such as the lesser extent of open US support or the inherent contradiction of keeping the indigenous Africans as an oppressed pool of cheap labour which Israel avoided by tending towards outright genocide of Palestinians. It's not like the South African Apartheid regime was morally any better than Israel, just materially different. But these differences must be remembers if we want any chance of actually understanding the situation, instead of just mechanistically applying 1:1 comparisons because it makes an easier story. The nuances of Southern Africa must be appreciated if we want to truly appreciate the history of human struggle against oppression; we can't reduce it to a footnote on whatever conflict it's currently popular to perform activism for.

[partisan-by-default]

The president of Botswana has threatened to send 20,000 elephants to Germany in a political dispute.

Earlier this year, Germany's environment ministry suggested there should be stricter limits on importing hunting trophies.

Botswana's president Mokgweetsi Masisi told German media this would only impoverish Botswanans.

He said elephant numbers had exploded as a result of conservation efforts, and hunting helped keep them in check.

Germans should "live together with the animals, in the way you are trying to tell us to", Mr Masisi told German newspaper Bild.

The country is home to about a third of the world's elephant population - more than 130,000.

Herds were causing damage to property, eating crops and trampling residents, he told Bild.

Botswana has previously given 8,000 elephants to countries such as Angola, and has offered hundreds more to Mozambique, as a means of bringing the population down.

"We would like to offer such a gift to Germany," Mr Masisi said, adding it was not a joke and he would not take no for an answer.

[arcticdementor]

It is hard to find a clearer outlier among developing countries than Botswana, a landlocked African country where 40% of government revenue comes from diamond mining and a quarter of adults are HIV-positive. Everything taught by a development economics department would suggest the country is set up for failure. But well-executed succession between presidents, and the resulting stability and good government, has meant success instead.

Botswana is possibly the nicest place in Africa—it is quieter and more stable than, say, Greece. In the entire period since independence, Botswana has not suffered devastating civil wars like those in the Congo or Mozambique, coups such as in Burkina Faso, or ethnic violence and expropriation as seen in Rwanda and Zimbabwe.

The country’s living standards are comparable to Turkey, Mexico, and South Africa. It has also been Sub-Saharan Africa’s fastest growing economy for most of the last half-century.

…

Good government starts with good leadership. Here is the list of heads of state of Botswana over the last hundred years:

King Khama III, who reigned 1875–1923, decided to join the British Empire.

President Seretse Khama, the grandson of Khama III, led the effort to leave the British Empire. He held office for 14 years, from 1966 to 1980.

President Quett Masire served as Seretse Khama’s vice president. He held office for 18 years, from 1980 to 1998.

President Festus Mogae served as Quett Masire’s vice president. He held office for 10 years, from 1998 to 2008.

President Ian Khama, son of Seretse Khama, great-grandson of King Khama III, served as Festus Mogae’s vice president. He held office for 10 years, from 2008 to 2018.

President Mokgweetsi Masisi served as Ian Khama’s vice president, and is the current president since 2018.

Given these clear personal, political, and familial ties between the heads of state, it seems that Botswana is actually an unofficial adoptive monarchy around the old royal family, quite similar to the case of the Roman Empire, where the head of state picks the successor and gives him the junior position.

In the paradigm of contemporary political science, such an arrangement is usually taken as a negative sign. We are used to thinking of political dynasties and close alliances among insiders to be cardinal signs of corruption.

This negative association is at least somewhat the result of cherry-picking. We focus on political dynasties in failed or rogue states, but minimize their very real role in successful Western states. The modern West has its dynasties, most famously the Bushes and Kennedys. This is an open secret. Statistically, one of the best qualifications for being a U.S. governor is descent from one.

…

Since the same people tend to come up on top overall, the rough composition of the elites in a country will not be significantly different if it implements meritocratic policies or not. The key difference between functionality and dysfunctionality is in the institutional mechanisms the elites use to cooperate with each other, rather than just the selection or composition of elites.

The arrangement we see in Botswana—where the previous head of state publicly declares a successor—solves the problem of power succession. This both helps prevent organizational sclerosis and renders succession conflicts unlikely. Many post-colonial states struggle with the problem of succession. Civil wars and coups are endemic. It is open to discussion how much of this is the result of internally driven miscoordination, and how much is due to destabilizing foreign interventions, especially during the Cold War. But at least some of the instability is internally driven.

Botswana avoided Cold War–driven instabilities by aligning with the West, but positioning itself such that the USSR had no interest in overthrowing it. Botswana was a thorn in the side of South Africa, and useful to the USSR, by sometimes allowing the communist-aligned ANC to operate in its territory. The Soviets may have worried that a revolution would simply result in a South African invasion. Thus, the only communists active in Botswanan politics were small Maoist and Trotskyist groups.

…

Historically, in another feat of competent political strategy, Botswana joined the British Empire on its own terms under King Khama III, preserving its autonomy. The tribal structure continued to govern during the colonial period, building its own bureaucracy. This means the current state stands on an actual base of power rather than being a legal fiction.

Moreover, compared to other African states, Botswana has a relatively homogeneous ethnic makeup, with a single dominant tribe, the Tswana. This helps stability because it means the tribal power structure and the formal government structure are one and the same in practice, reducing motivation or opportunity for political conflict.

The demographic fundamentals are not perfect, however. As Amy Chua argued in her book World on Fire, one of the most important drivers of civil war, expropriation, and genocide is the dynamic of conflict between an ethnic majority with an economically dominant minority. The political conflicts between the Hutu and the Tutsi in Rwanda are a canonical example.

Superficially, the conditions in Botswana are present for the development of such a scenario. A significant minority of the population, around 3%, is white. This minority has substantial social and material capital. And yet, it continues to exist with few problems after half a century of independence, with no campaign of expropriation or expulsion, unlike countries such as Uganda.

What is the source of this rare good fortune? It seems it was good judgment by the ruling dynasty. Seretse Khama pursued independence in a much smarter way than had been done in countries like Zimbabwe. For example, his government bought half of the local branch of the international De Beers corporation, rather than seizing it. Seizure is disruptive and often destroys a company’s ability to produce as the best managers and engineers flee, while purchase ensures continuity and continued production.

…

Simply looking at a picture of former president Ian Khama reveals that the most prosperous ethnicity married into the traditional royal family.

The marriage of President Seretse Khama, Ian’s father, was controversial at the time, likely an act of love rather than intentional statecraft. However, it was read by the white minority as a credible commitment to ethnic peace. Because of these obvious and noticeable family ties, the political capital of the influential Khama family cannot be shored up by inflaming inter-ethnic conflict for political gain as was done by Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe and Idi Amin in Uganda. The family is thus reassuring for the white minority, while simultaneously legitimate to traditionalist Tswana.

Good government aligns political necessity with prosperity. When political necessity steps in the way of prosperity, it is prosperity that suffers.

…

According to conventional developmental economics models, Botswana shouldn’t be doing as well as it is. As a landlocked country, its access to international markets relies on neighboring states. This is commonly recognized as an important barrier to development, with its own acronym “LLDC” (landlocked developing country). It is suffering among the world’s worst AIDS pandemics. This not only incurs significant direct medical expenses, but also lowers productivity. Morbidity drives up the dependency ratio, depriving it of a demographic dividend. Lastly, it is a post-colonial state. The norm for this reference class is corruption, political instability, and unexceptional growth. Together, these factors should have sealed its fate.

But our usual models do not sufficiently account for the difficulty and importance of succession. We model power and power succession unrealistically, if at all. Hand-picked successors and political dynasties are overlooked as viable solutions, or regarded as a sign of corruption. Thus we usually miss or shrug at Botswana’s success, and likewise miss some of the key sources of functionality in our own governments.

The world, including its functional governments, is a lot more dynastic than we like to admit, and dynasties work a lot better at securing institutional continuity and good government than we like to think. As we look into what’s actually working about the American order, and how it could work better, we should pay close attention to cases where dynasties like the Khamas are a significant driving force of success. We would do well to become more comfortable with their role.

[bbclesmis]

Reinventing Javert

An upcoming adaptation of Victor Hugo’s 19th century novel Les Misérables will be the most satisfying version yet, says star David Oyelowo, as he explains why taking the character of Javert beyond his portrayal as a one-one-dimensional villain was his most challenging role to date.

“If there’s something I’ve learned, it is you can never predict how anything you do is going to be received, as Victor Hugo will attest to,” David Oyelowo says with a smile. “But the thing I do know we’ve achieved is filling in a lot of the blanks that inevitably exist because you are trying to boil down a huge novel.”

Oyelowo is deconstructing his latest television role, which will see him tackle Javert, the police inspector and primary antagonist in Victor Hugo’s 19th century epic novel Les Misérables, in the forthcoming adaptation for UK public broadcaster the BBC and Masterpiece on PBS in the US.

The miniseries has been authored by period adaptation maven Andrew Davies (War & Peace, Pride & Prejudice) and sees Oyelowo face off against Dominic West’s protagonist Jean Valjean (pictured top alongside Oyelowo).

The subject of numerous recreations, the novel’s most recognisable reinventions are the long-running musical, which has now been a fixture on London’s West End for 33 years, and the 2012 Hollywood film helmed by The King’s Speech director Tom Hooper.

Oyelowo points out, however, that rather than treading the same ground, Davies’ six-hour series can go deeper into the book. “If it’s a film or a musical you’re distilling it down to, it’s too thin to be as satisfying as the book allows,” he says. “Six hours of television in the hands of Andrew Davies is a far more satisfying way to explore that story and understand these characters who intersect in ways that are genuinely universal – in terms of how we exist in the world now.

“What I love about the book is that at any given time I can identify with Javert, I can identify with Jean Valjean, I can identify with Fantine; and that needs time to not reduce them to archetypes. My hope is that people who see this version are really going to have a far greater context for what this story actually is.”

This is no more relevant than to his character, Javert. Oyelowo says the inspector is often portrayed as a “one-dimensional” villain with the sole function of hunting down the misdirected but ultimately good-at-heart Valjean.

“It became clear to me that there was so much more there than people may recognise from knowing the musical. Let’s face it, not enough people have read the book. That became the challenge and it was basically to understand why he pursues him,” he adds.

“What became apparent is that, at the time in which this thing is set, there’s a lot of friction between the classes, between people on the basis of socioeconomics, politics… and so that time required – and I’m not saying he is in any way what the world needs now – someone who operated in moral absolutes in order to bring any kind of order to that chaos. He’s a by-product of the time he was in. Therefore, hopefully, you don’t necessarily condone his actions but you understand them.”

The contradictions that exist in Javert are such that Oyelowo, who has depicted Martin Luther King Jr (Selma) and former Botswanan president Sir Seretse Goitsebeng Maphiri Khama (A United Kingdom) on the big screen, feels the role has proved “one of the most challenging” in his career, due to “the perception people have going in.”

“By and large, people have an opinion [of the character] – even people who haven’t seen the musical, read the book or know much about it. They have a sense, whether it’s a portrayal they’ve seen in a trailer, or a poster they’ve seen, so it’s a little bit like the challenge you have when you’re playing a historical figure. You know that what you have to do in order to do a portrayal that’s satisfying is to bring something revelatory, something that people didn’t know. If you’re just giving them what they already knew, it’s redundant. That was the challenge.”

Oyelowo is changing perceptions, and breaking new ground, from a different standpoint too. In casting him as Javert, the BBC is thought to be the first broadcaster to have selected a non-white actor in the joint-lead role. After the backlash Jodie Whittaker received from some quarters after becoming the first female lead in Doctor Who, does Oyelowo wonder if there will be similar grumblings from people who believe Javert should only ever be a white man?

“In my opinion, we take a far greater licence by taking French history and transposing it onto British history than we do by suggesting that people of colour were integral to European life in the 19th century,” he says. “We have transposed this onto English society in order for it to be understood by a broader audience beyond French people.

“And so if we want to make something that is relevant to the world that we actually live in, we should be reflecting that in every sense, not just the actual language we’re translating the show into but the people who get to portray the characters as well.”

And in casting the actor who has played spies, corrupt detectives and a chess coach in his career so far, director Tom Shankland believes Javert has been given new depth. Speaking to DQ earlier this year, Shankland said Oyelowo had done such an effective job of layering the character and providing a perfect foil for Dominic West’s Valjean that “by the end, I’m almost in tears for Javert.”

“David kept on looking and finding, in extraordinary ways, the humanity – however twisted and bitter – in Javert,” Shankland said. “In my wildest dreams I wasn’t sure we’d get to that place with a character like that. David dug so deep, but all the time he’s scary and driven and the person we hope will never succeed.”

Oyelowo himself says he had conversations with Shankland to discuss how best to portray Javert. While the character has previously been played by esteemed actors including Russell Crowe and Geoffrey Rush, Oyelowo says he did not draw on past interpretations because of the very fact the character has been cast as merely the villain of the piece. Moreover, Javert has often been deemed “quite posh” compared with Valjean, something Oyelowo believes is at odds with Hugo’s work.

“This book is about the underclass, and my character was born in a prison to criminal parents. The portrayals I’ve seen thus far I don’t feel suggest that. In many ways, Jean Valjean and Javert are mirror images of each other; they’re both coming from criminality as opposed to what I’ve seen in the past, which is Javert seeming to be quite posh in relation to Valjean, who’s the criminal,” he explains.

“One of the reasons Javert has this inexorable obsession with hunting down Jean Valjean is that he represents what Javert could have been, under different circumstances, and what he hates in terms of his own upbringing, what lies in his own familial past – that his own parents were in exactly the same situation that Jean Valjean finds himself in for having stolen a loaf of bread.

“His hatred of his parents and upbringing is partly why he hates Jean Valjean. I haven’t seen that before. In talking to Tom, it was very clear we were trying to do something quite different and, hopefully without sounding conceited, something far more real in terms of the novel.”

That said, Oyelowo isn’t completely averse to past interpretations of the novel, and laughs when asked if he’s pleased there will be no singing involved in Davies’ adaptation, which comes from producer Lookout Point and BBC Studios, with the later also distributing. “I like singing; I personally enjoyed the musical film,” he concludes. “But if you’re going to tell this story, you don’t want to literally be doing a version of what we’ve seen quite recently. What we’ve set out to do is something quite different, even though it does have that iconic title.”

Though they may not be accompanied by a tune, it is likely Oyelowo will make Hugo’s words sing when Javert returns to the small screen next year.

By John Elmes, December 19, 2018, Drama Quarterly (x)

[caitlinmargaritareads]

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith

At our resort in San Jose del Cabo, there was a solitary Goodwill-level shelf filled with DVD’s for rent (I know, don’t say it), and what appeared to be the ghosts of pool-side reads past, left behind for the cleaning crew to collect. I naturally gravitate towards books (especially free books), and that’s how I came upon this long-beloved title. This copy had clearly seen better days, and that made the shelf appeal (ha-ha) that much stronger for me.

The book tells the story of Precious Ramatswe, a proud Botswanan woman who uses her father’s inheritance to start the first women’s detective agency in Gaborone. Between each case, Mma. Ramatswe tells anecdotes from her past, setting the stage for her present life as a detective. With each small case, Mma. Ramatswe builds up to a final case- finding a missing boy of a school teacher, who may have been abducted by witch doctors from the Kalahari Desert.

I was really excited to read this book. This series is beloved by generations of readers, and it’s easy to see why people would fall in love with Mma. Ramatswe and her quaint life in Botswana. McCall Smith is able to weave in delicate social commentary with each unsolved mystery, building up his character so that the reader begins to understand her more and more. Yet the book reads like a cozy mystery- at no point was I stressed out about the hairy situations Mma. Ramatswe finds herself in, but the story was intriguing enough to keep the pages turning. This book was originally published in 1998, and since then, McCall Smith has managed to write and publish 22 novels about this spunky female detective (the two most recent installations published during the pandemic!). I can’t say that I would read all of the books in this series, but I found myself soothed by the tranquil descriptions of Botswanan life. Reading this while quarantining with Covid has also left me with an insatiable craving for bush tea, and a quiet evening sitting on Mms. Ramatswe’s veranda.

If you’re looking for an easy and enjoyable read, I highly recommend this book. If you’re up for a real challenge, I’ll send you my copy and we’ll see if the binding can last for another reader!

Here are a couple quotes that I loved from this book:

“You’re right,” she said, “You are too big for these blouses. Far too big.”

Mma Ramotswe smiled. “But they are nice blouses, Mma, and I hope you sell them to some nice small person.”

-pg. 111

“She felt terribly sorry for people who suffered from constipation… There were probably enough of them to form a political party… but what would such a party do if it was in power? Nothing, she imagined. It would try to pass legislation, but would fail.”

-pg. 195

3.5 out of 5 stars

[miscellaneousmeditations]

Aspiration

Aspiration Statement Botswana, Africa July 26th, 2019

From a young age, I was exposed to community development programs. One of the community initiatives I was exposed to was promoting sexual health. My mom worked for the Health Department, educating young teens and families on STDs and HIV/AIDS. Now, she works for a nonprofit funded by the Ryan White program, providing financial resources to AIDS patients who cannot afford their medication. For many years, I have sought out opportunities to contribute to communities as she has. I learned about being a public servant from my mom and I want to continue this type of work by her example. I see my Peace Corps post in Botswana as my opportunity to finally give back some of the knowledge that I have acquired through the years.  

Through Peace Corps, I seek opportunities to contribute to the communities in Botswana. Eventually, I would like to establish a career where I can continue this type of work in communities all around the world.

The Civil Society Capacity Building assignment provides me the space to create and improve programs that will provide better services to affected populations. Forming partnerships between civil society organizations widens the net and reaches communities that isolated organizations cannot. I graduated from my university in the top of my class, I volunteered hundreds of hours to student organizations and community service, I interned in Washington, D.C., and studied abroad in Mexico, researching politics, elections, and education. Through these experiences, I gained insight into problem solving, professionalism, and working effectively in teams. I expect that my knowledge of international politics and my experience with conflict management will enhance my experience in Botswana and contribute positively to the Peace Corps mission.

I pride myself on flexibility and improving my ability to adjust to changing predicaments. Being adaptable means that I can work with different types of beneficiaries, like women, children, men, and families. I plan on adapting strategic plans to allow young women to be self-sustainable and independent, as providers to their families. If women are prepared, empowered, and educated, they are more likely to have healthier relationships, healthier families, which leads to healthier communities. I want to make the most of my Peace Corps assignment. That is why I am committed to gaining proficiency in Setswana during my 27 months of service. I hope to attend church services, community events, and government meetings to practice Setswana and get to know the Botswanan culture.

I believe that my assignment in Botswana as a Peace Corps volunteer will give me credibility in my professional career. After college, I wanted to work for the State Department.  However, it takes experience, connections, and learning from mistakes before I can begin working what I consider to be a dream job. I know that my time with the Peace Corps will change my life forever because of the demands of the service and the amazing lessons I will learn along the way. I will be immersed in a culture, a lifestyle, and a language that I am not used to. Though, despite these challenges, I know that I am working an assignment that will impact lives and communities for years to come. Not everyone after college gets that experience.

I expect this service to be incredibly challenging, which is why I applied. I plan on journaling and communicating with other volunteers and local community members to reflect on obstacles I face and how I plan to overcome them. I believe that I will return home with a very different perspective on the United States. This diverse view of the U.S. and international relations will make me an asset to the U.S. government, as a diplomat, a humanitarian, or a public servant.

[newscheckz]

Three Entrepreneurs in Botswana, Zambia, and Malawi Win Prestigious SEED Award

New Post has been published on https://newscheckz.com/three-entrepreneurs-in-botswana-zambia-and-malawi-win-prestigious-seed-award/

Three Entrepreneurs in Botswana, Zambia, and Malawi Win Prestigious SEED Award

Winners of the SEED Awards will be awarded matching grants of between EUR 10,000 – 15,000.

A Botswanan company which trains farmers to use bees to stop elephants destroying their farms, a Zambian business which promotes sustainable bee-farming, and a Malawian start-up which turns leftovers into cooking gas have won the SEED Awards for Climate Adaptation (SEED Awards) (www.SEED.uno).

SEED was founded as part of a global partnership between the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

In Botswana, local entrepreneur Mavis Nduchwa founded Kalahari Honey to restore the balance between humans, wildlife, and the environment.

The company gives farmers beehives and trains them to create a live fence of bees around their farms to deter local elephant populations.

Not only does this reduce conflict between humans and wildlife, it gives farmers an added income as they can sell their bee products back to Kalahari Honey, which markets to customers globally.

It also increases pollination through the propagation of bee colonies and the introduction of more indigenous, drought-resistant plant species reverses the ongoing desertification.

The company currently works with 500 rural farmers, but under SEED’s expert provision it aims to work with an additional 1,500 farmers over the next year and expand the capacity of its processing factory.

In Zambia, entrepreneur Harry Malichi set up Wuchi Wami to train farmers in sustainable beekeeping.

The company packages, brands, markets and distributes local raw and organic honey from its registered cooperative made up of 2,500 farmers.

It uses modern beehives made from easy-to-plant pine, rather than the local miombo trees, which are destroyed in traditional beehive production.

This type of beekeeping is less labour-intensive, enabling women, youths and orphans to farm honey.

Deforestation is further reduced by providing an alternative income source for women and men engaged in charcoal burning.

Under SEED’s guidance, the enterprise plans to increase the number of smallholder farmers in its cooperative to 10,000 in the coming year.

EcoGen, founded by Clement Kandodo in Malawi in 2019, provides advanced bio-waste bins and biodigesters for households to recycle their leftover food and agricultural waste, turning it into biogas for cooking and organic fertilizer.

The provision of renewable cooking gas, especially to rural customers relying on wood fuel, takes the pressure off local forest resources. Organic fertilizer increases yields and incomes of smallholder farmers, enhancing their climate resilience.

SEED will help EcoGen scale its services to provide 4,000 households and institutions with access to renewable biogas energy by 2023.

Yves Wantens, General Representative of the Government of Flanders in the United States commented: “When it comes to the impacts of climate change, countries like Malawi, Zambia and Botswana are on the front line.

They are the ones who will feel the effects of a rise in global temperature most acutely.

That is why we are so proud to support the SEED Awards, which recognize and scale the impact of eco-inclusive enterprises across these local communities.

As we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, MSMEs are at the forefront of enabling green recovery and delivering on SDGs, for the good of the wider community and the planet.” The Government of Flanders is the primary sponsor of the SEED Climate Adaptation Awards.

The SEED Awards ceremony, taking place today at the UN’s High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), will also see SEED present its ‘Green Recovery Snapshot’ (https://bit.ly/3hCJSDP) findings, which calls on governments, donors, and financial providers to increase targeted support for MSMEs as they stimulate economic growth in a post-COVID world.

MSMEs are responsible for creating seven out of ten jobs across emerging markets, and green and social MSMEs deliver environmental and social impact through their activities, products, and services, making them essential actors in achieving a green recovery.

Winners of the SEED Awards will be awarded matching grants of between EUR 10,000 – 15,000 and will receive tailored one-to-one advisory services for up to a year to scale their operations, as part of the renowned SEED Accelerator (https://bit.ly/3AVM4xM) programme.

In line with the principle of ‘awarding the best and moving the rest’, 39 runners-up will also be supported through the SEED Catalyzer (https://bit.ly/3hABXXt) programme, to refine their business models and optimize their impacts while advancing their investment readiness.

SEED’s Director of Operations, Rainer Agster, added: “The calibre of SEED Award entries this year was outstanding, and we extend our congratulations to all nine winners and 39 runners-up.

We hope the enterprises identified and promoted by the SEED Awards will be a source of inspiration for aspiring entrepreneurs across emerging economies. Through the SEED Awards, we will support 48 enterprises in 2021, and through our other programmes, several hundreds more.

For each of those, however, there are thousands more eco-inclusive enterprises furthering SDGs which can be amplified with the right support.

Therefore, we strongly encourage policy makers and financial actors to take a closer look at these eco-inclusive businesses and start or scale support programmes for them.”

Of the 2021 SEED Awards cohort, 69 per cent of enterprise leaders are 18-35 years-old and 52 per cent are female-led enterprises.

Since their inception in 2005, the SEED Awards have awarded 311 enterprises in 40 countries and have facilitated the disbursement of over EUR 1 million in grants.

Each individual SEED enterprise has saved an average of 7,300 tonnes of CO2, generated more than 9,399 kWh of renewable energy, and created 28.4 jobs, out of which 32 per cent are offered to people at the Bottom of the Pyramid (BoP).

For more information on the winners and runners-up, please visit the SEED website (https://bit.ly/3xBgrY8).

[secretdoorprojects]

I've never read the "No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" series of books, but @madhazray (always on #lithosalert, good looking out!!!) brought to my attention that many of their covers are designed with a liberal use of #lithosfont throughout. I can't weigh in decisively on what to me feel like the somewhat weird politics of a white Scottish man (albeit born & raised till age 17 in former Rhodesia/present day Zimbabwe) writing a bestselling series of novels about a black female Botswanan detective? I don't even know? is that weird? I've always thought it was at least a little bit weird. (if anybody has read these books and/or has thoughts, feel free to add them below.....) but I CAN weigh in & say, I like the covers that don't use Lithos better than the ones that do. ??????? #lithoswatch #stereotypography https://www.instagram.com/p/By1CeS8HJAW/?igshid=1c41ejv281gh4

[bengalisms]

GENERAL INFORMATION

FULL NAME:  Kato Kulinda NICKNAMES:  None AGE:  23-45. DATE OF BIRTH: December 7thth PLACE OF BIRTH: Maun, Botswana, Africa  LOCATION:  New York, America GENDER: Cisgendered Male. NATIONALITY: Botswanan-American. ETHNICITY: Botawanan. LANGUAGES SPOKEN: English, Tswana RELIGION: Agnostic OCCUPATION: FBI Agent, Specializing in Human Trafficking  EDUCATION: High School, Police Academy. ORIENTATION: Bisexual. ILLNESSES: None RELATIONSHIP STATUS: Dating Ardai Cavebourn. CHILDREN: None.

BIO & FACTS

Kato was born with a twin (Kai) and the pair grew up inseparable. For the longest time they couldn’t tell them apart but they always knew Kai because he was the life of the party. He was always making jokes and playing around, but at a young age he got very sick. He died of his illness when Kato and Kai were only 14. Devastated, the family began looking for jobs outside of Botswana. 

His father was a well beloved political leader, and finding a job at the Botswanan Embassy in America wasn’t hard to do. The family moved there, leaving their home behind –– Kato didn’t mind, because he’d come to associate Botswana with the loss of his brother. 

Once in America, Kato’s father grew sick with cancer, and before Kato could even finish his training with the police force, his father was dead. His mother, who was a hard woman with a very kind heart soon fell ill as well. She developed Dementia very early in her life, and the burden of taking care of her fell to Kato. 

His mother and job is his life, but after Caspian and Kato met through a mutual friend (Ardai Cavebourn) the pair bonded instantly. Kato is like the brother Caspian never had, and while Kato can be a bit rough around the edges, he adores Caspian and would do anything to protect him from harm. 

Kato is a protective man who constantly works towards bettering the lives of those around him. He is incredibly self-sacrificing despite how arrogant and overly confident he can appear. He has a problem following protocol at work, and it gets him into a lot of trouble sometimes.

[dailyanarchistposts]

TODAY, TOMORROW

Finally, in 1996, May Day was proclaimed as a public holiday in Botswana. However, many problems remain. May Day has subsequently been used to fan the flames of discontent. In 2001, for instance, the MWU reiterated the demand that ILO standards be adopted.

Wages remain low, causing strikes in the mines and unrest in the state sector. Despite a growing economy, inequality remains high. In agriculture, land and cattle are often centralised in few hands, pushing more people into waged labour. Privatisation plans remain dominant and, as in the SADC region more generally, the 8-hour day is still not a reality.

[afroinsider]

Mozambique Hopes to Boost Cooperation With Botswana

Mozambique Hopes to Boost Cooperation With Botswana

Maputo — Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi pledged on Wednesday that Mozambique wishes to develop more fruitful economic cooperation with Botswana, so that it reaches the same level as the political cooperation between the two countries.

He was speaking at a banquet offered in honour of his Botswanan counterpart Mokgweetsi Masisi, on the first day of a three day state visit to Mozambique.

Nyusi…

[baxtonme]

Botswana Personalised Photographic Guided Safari Tours African Travel Specialist

Armchair Travel: Safari Expert Says Botswana is Worth a Closer Look

An effective Covid vaccine is now being rolled out across the globe, yet we may need to wait a little longer than the first quarter of 2021 to saddle up and get going. In the meantime, armchair travel remains the “go to” when satisfying our wanderlust for exploring exotic destinations. Botswana is among the countries to investigate, says Deon De Villiers, an organiser of customised safaris, and having done so, there are few people who would not add it to their travel “bucket list.”

Read: African Safari Travel Specialists Botswana Guided Bespoke Luxurious Personalised

Botswana’s Wildlife and Parks

The biggest drawcard for visitors to Botswana is, of course, its wildlife and parks; considered by many as some of Africa’s best, for diversity of wildlife and pristine wilderness areas. Although the country has just four official National Parks, each is absolutely enormous such that over 25 per cent of the whole country has been designated specifically for conservation. The country’s wilderness areas span a variety of natural landscapes, each with their own wealth of differing wildlife. Of course, in addition to the national parks, there are a great many private reserves, many of them featuring everything from luxurious lodges, to bush camps and mobile safaris – to appeal to a broad range of tastes and wallets.

The bucket list “Big 5” – lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino are generally the stars of the show. But as dramatically stunning as they are – these are the tip of the iceberg in terms of the wild animals to be seen. Apart from various species of antelope, there are also giraffes, cheetah, hippo, hyenas and zebras, plus wild dogs, honey badgers, mongoose, and the famed meerkats to be seen. The natural diversity of Botswana doesn’t stop at the animals. Birds ranging from water-loving species to those preferring open savannah or even dry climate, and an interesting variety of reptiles to observe in their natural habitats too.

“It’s heaven for wildlife photographers and those who aspire to take that iconic picture of animals in their natural habitat, or even those whom wish to simply record the experience in their minds eye,” says De Villers who is well-known for his own wildlife photography efforts. Botswana – it is an inspiration for travellers or virtual travellers and dreamers…

Read: Luxury African Travel Specialists Personalised Guided Ethical Elephant Safaris

Armchair Travellers will Enjoy the Journey

Although Botswana has to be seen in person to be fully believed, there’s much for armchair travellers to soak up from the comfort of their homes. Apart from the official Botswana tourism website, Deon De Villiers’ own Safari Guru website features magnificent images and explains just what people on safari in this magnificent country would experience.

Book an Appointment with Deon De Villiers for a Free Botswana Travel Planning Session

All this will make people dream of Africa and the adventures they can experience when they are finally able to throw off their lockdown shackles. “There will be quite a rush on luxury travel opportunities and bespoke adventures when we can be clearer on the lifting of travel restrictions,” says Deon. “Some people are already undertaking a flexible planning process in which we tailor the safari and make provisional reservations. That way, they can be sure of first options once travel is once again permitted.”

Whether it is just dreaming for now, or there are travellers that are itching to enjoy an overseas holiday once they are able to travel, Botswana, its people, its landscapes, and its wildlife are waiting. The virtual journey can start today. And, for those who can’t resist planning the holiday of a lifetime even if the dates remain uncertain, Deon is the man with the local knowledge and contacts to prepare an itinerary that will give them something to look forward to.

Botswana’s People, Culture and Cuisine

To add a little colour to the wildlife background, this Southern African country is among the most politically stable and least corrupt on the continent. Reflecting its long history as one of Africa’s oldest democracies, and the peaceful and easy-going nature of its people. Several distinct tribes speaking variants of the flowing Tswana language and having distinct variations in cultural practices, coexist in harmony here. However, English, as the national language is widely spoken and this factor is a big contributor to the country’s success as a tourism destination and is sure to continue to reassure travellers once international tourism resumes.

The national dish, known as “seswaa” is a simple recipe in which meat is cooked on the bone with salt as a tenderising agent before being pounded into fragments. The meat is served on stiffened maize meal, often with “Marog,” a green, leafy vegetable that could be from one of several plant species less known in the Western world, among these, Amaranthus.  A variety of other dishes make up the cuisine of Botswana with beef, lamb, and beans as well as the ever-present maize meal being favourite ingredients.

Of course, Western cuisine is also well-known here, with many safari lodges and camps catering to all tastes through their own unique fusion of international variants.

On the arts front; distinctive music, traditional dancing, uniquely interesting wood carvings and sculptures, and basket weaving recognised as being among the best in the world. When you’re in camp you will experience much of this local talent – as Botswanans love to sing and dance. Certainly, jewellery, often incorporating intricate beadwork, is much sought after – both among locals and the tourists who admire it.

For more information visit the African Travel Specialist | Safari Guru website or call Deon De Villiers and his team of experts on (+61) 0427 782 226.

Syndicated by Baxton Media, The Market Influencers, Your Digital Marketing Agency.

Botswana Personalised Photographic Guided Safari Tours African Travel Specialist was originally published on Baxton

[arcticdementor]

It is hard to find a clearer outlier among developing countries than Botswana, a landlocked African country where 40% of government revenue comes from diamond mining and a quarter of adults are HIV-positive. Everything taught by a development economics department would suggest the country is set up for failure. But well-executed succession between presidents, and the resulting stability and good government, has meant success instead.

Botswana is possibly the nicest place in Africa—it is quieter and more stable than, say, Greece. In the entire period since independence, Botswana has not suffered devastating civil wars like those in the Congo or Mozambique, coups such as in Burkina Faso, or ethnic violence and expropriation as seen in Rwanda and Zimbabwe.

The country’s living standards are comparable to Turkey, Mexico, and South Africa. It has also been Sub-Saharan Africa’s fastest growing economy for most of the last half-century.

…

Unfortunately, there are many examples of countries that have tried and failed to achieve good governance in the often chaotic post-colonial context. These countries followed Western advice as closely as they could, drafting legally impeccable constitutions and recruiting well-educated statesmen, but the results have been mixed at best. Botswana’s positive outlier example raises the question of how it has done so well.

Good government starts with good leadership. Here is the list of heads of state of Botswana over the last hundred years:

•King Khama III, who reigned 1875–1923, decided to join the British Empire.

•President Seretse Khama, the grandson of Khama III, led the effort to leave the British Empire. He held office for 14 years, from 1966 to 1980.

•President Quett Masire served as Seretse Khama’s vice president. He held office for 18 years, from 1980 to 1998.

•President Festus Mogae served as Quett Masire’s vice president. He held office for 10 years, from 1998 to 2008.

•President Ian Khama, son of Seretse Khama, great-grandson of King Khama III, served as Festus Mogae’s vice president. He held office for 10 years, from 2008 to 2018.

•President Mokgweetsi Masisi served as Ian Khama’s vice president, and is the current president since 2018.

Given these clear personal, political, and familial ties between the heads of state, it seems that Botswana is actually an unofficial adoptive monarchy around the old royal family, quite similar to the case of the Roman Empire, where the head of state picks the successor and gives him the junior position.

In the paradigm of contemporary political science, such an arrangement is usually taken as a negative sign. We are used to thinking of political dynasties and close alliances among insiders to be cardinal signs of corruption.

This negative association is at least somewhat the result of cherry-picking. We focus on political dynasties in failed or rogue states, but minimize their very real role in successful Western states. The modern West has its dynasties, most famously the Bushes and Kennedys. This is an open secret. Statistically, one of the best qualifications for being a U.S. governor is descent from one.

…

Since the same people tend to come up on top overall, the rough composition of the elites in a country will not be significantly different if it implements meritocratic policies or not. The key difference between functionality and dysfunctionality is in the institutional mechanisms the elites use to cooperate with each other, rather than just the selection or composition of elites.

The arrangement we see in Botswana—where the previous head of state publicly declares a successor—solves the problem of power succession. This both helps prevent organizational sclerosis and renders succession conflicts unlikely. Many post-colonial states struggle with the problem of succession. Civil wars and coups are endemic. It is open to discussion how much of this is the result of internally driven miscoordination, and how much is due to destabilizing foreign interventions, especially during the Cold War. But at least some of the instability is internally driven.

Botswana avoided Cold War–driven instabilities by aligning with the West, but positioning itself such that the USSR had no interest in overthrowing it. Botswana was a thorn in the side of South Africa, and useful to the USSR, by sometimes allowing the communist-aligned ANC to operate in its territory. The Soviets may have worried that a revolution would simply result in a South African invasion. Thus, the only communists active in Botswanan politics were small Maoist and Trotskyist groups.

…

Ian Khama resigning from the military before entering civilian politics, rather than using the position of general to install himself directly, however, is an example of the way military leaders can acquire political power without setting a precedent for coups. One of the key variables in determining whether a country has a coup is how many coups it has had in the past. It further demonstrates a degree of coordination and deal-keeping among elites. There is a direct analogy here to the practice of successful U.S. generals who became president, such as George Washington, Ulysses Grant, and Dwight D. Eisenhower. That military leaders can rise to power through the civilian government demonstrates a high level of trust among Botswanan elites absent in most Third World states.

Historically, in another feat of competent political strategy, Botswana joined the British Empire on its own terms under King Khama III, preserving its autonomy. The tribal structure continued to govern during the colonial period, building its own bureaucracy. This means the current state stands on an actual base of power rather than being a legal fiction.

Moreover, compared to other African states, Botswana has a relatively homogeneous ethnic makeup, with a single dominant tribe, the Tswana. This helps stability because it means the tribal power structure and the formal government structure are one and the same in practice, reducing motivation or opportunity for political conflict.

…

What is the source of this rare good fortune? It seems it was good judgment by the ruling dynasty. Seretse Khama pursued independence in a much smarter way than had been done in countries like Zimbabwe. For example, his government bought half of the local branch of the international De Beers corporation, rather than seizing it. Seizure is disruptive and often destroys a company’s ability to produce as the best managers and engineers flee, while purchase ensures continuity and continued production.

Income from taxing or owning shares of such large companies can be used for patronage of political allies (Sheila Khama served as CEO of De Beers Botswana) as well as social programs that develop state power further. This reduces the pull of alternative institutions such as clans, radical religious groups, and ideological organizations. Another well-known example of this tactic is Saudi Arabia’s use of the Saudi Aramco oil company.

…

According to conventional developmental economics models, Botswana shouldn’t be doing as well as it is. As a landlocked country, its access to international markets relies on neighboring states. This is commonly recognized as an important barrier to development, with its own acronym “LLDC” (landlocked developing country). It is suffering among the world’s worst AIDS pandemics. This not only incurs significant direct medical expenses, but also lowers productivity. Morbidity drives up the dependency ratio, depriving it of a demographic dividend. Lastly, it is a post-colonial state. The norm for this reference class is corruption, political instability, and unexceptional growth. Together, these factors should have sealed its fate.

But our usual models do not sufficiently account for the difficulty and importance of succession. We model power and power succession unrealistically, if at all. Hand-picked successors and political dynasties are overlooked as viable solutions, or regarded as a sign of corruption. Thus we usually miss or shrug at Botswana’s success, and likewise miss some of the key sources of functionality in our own governments.

[netfinlife]

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[mojeedoladipupo-blog]

2019 Elections: Botswana's opposition parties unite to unseat incumbent

2019 Elections: Botswana’s opposition parties unite to unseat incumbent

  Main opposition political parties in Botswanan has  launched a coalition on Friday to challenge the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) in 2019 elections.

The BDP has been in power since 1966, but saw its share of the popular vote sink below 50 percent for the first time in elections in 2014, as it paid the price for sluggish economic growth and high youth unemployment.

 The…