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CHAPTER 7
POLITICS IN DEVELOPMENT

Definition of terms:

State:
This is a country or territory that is a political entity controlled by one government.

Example: Botswana.

Nation:
This is a large community of people that usually share a common history, culture and
language, living in a particular country under one government.

Government:
This is a body that is given the authority to run or administer a country by a constitution.

Authority:
This is the power, which people acknowledges or believes and accepts that those with it
have the right to do so.

Constitution:
This is a set of laws that stipulates how a country should be ruled or governed.

Politics:
This is the constant struggle for acquiring and exercising power in society.

Politics is about:

 Who makes decisions.

 Distribution of resources.
 Dealing with conflicts.
 Making of rules and regulations.
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What is a political party?

This is an organization of citizens who share the same political, social and economic
beliefs and aims at attaining power to govern the country.

Examples
1. Botswana Democratic Party – Capitalism ;
2. Botswana National Front – Socialism.

Role played by Political Parties.

 Bring together people of the same economic, social and political interests.
 They allow people to express what they would like the government to do.
 They compete for power during elections.
 Opposition Parties ensure that the government in power acts responsibly, i.e. they
criticize or highlight mistakes or weaknesses.

TYPES OF GOVERNMENT

A. Monarchy

 This is when the head of a country is either a king or queen.

 The position of a monarch is through heredity i.e. parent to child.
 There are two types of monarchies:

i. Absolute Monarchy

 This is when the executive powers of government are directly in the hands of the
king or queen.
 The monarch rules with the help of a few selected individuals i.e. personal
advisers.
 The monarch rules by decree i.e. the monarch’s word is the law.
 Mostly the Royal family members have privileges.
 Any opposition is severely punished or crushed
 For example, King Mswati of Swaziland.

ii. Constitutional Monarchy

 The king or queen is the head of the country but the real power lies with the
government, that is the Prime Minister.
 The monarch is a ceremonial leader who ratifies whatever the government decides
on.
 The people elect the government.
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 For example; King Letsie of Lesotho and Queen Elizabeth of the United
Kingdom.

B. DEMOCRACY
Definition:
It is a system of government whereby the people have the final say or authority in
matters concerning their country or lives.

The people have the final authority through their power to vote.

(a) Direct democracy

 All citizens/people participate in the decision making process.

 This means all the people assemble to debate and decide policies for their society.
 This system is practiced at village level whereby people gather at the kgotla to
debate issues.
 This is not possible at national level.

(b)Representative/Parliamentary Democracy

 Also known as Multi-Party democracy.

 Under this system people elect an individual to put forward their interests at the
national assembly.
 Several political parties compete for power during elections.
 Examples: Botswana, South Africa, Zambia etc.

Characteristics of democracy
 Periodic free and fair elections e.g. after every five years.
 Impartial (fair) justice in courts i.e. laws are applied without fear or favour.
 Losers in elections must accept the verdict (decision) of the electorate and allow
the majority to govern.
 People’s freedoms and human rights are jealously guarded (protected) e.g.
freedom of speech, association, movement etc.
 Tolerance: the right to agree to disagree without resorting to violence or
intimidation.

(C) DICTATORSHIP
Definition:
This is a government that imposes itself on the people and does not respect their
wishes.
 People are not free to express their views.
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 The government uses force to suppress the people through the use of the army and
police.
 There are two types of dictatorships:

i). One Party State

Definition:

This is a system of government whereby a single political organization is allowed to

exist and assume power in a country.

Characteristics.

 All opposition parties are banned or are illegal.

 Opponents are jailed, killed or exiled.
 The leaders are despots i.e. they cannot be challenged and sometimes rule for life.
 During elections all candidates are from the same political party.

Examples:
Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania and Mozambique used to be one party states.

Arguments in favour of One Party States in Africa

 It brings unity because many political parties cause divisions in a country.

 It prevents tribal conflicts because political parties tend to be established along
tribal lines.
 It allows leaders to concentrate on development instead of political quarrels.
 In traditional societies there were no political parties hence the one party state is a
way of upholding tradition.

Disadvantages of One Party System

 Leaders become dictators who oppress people e.g. Mobutu of Zaire, Banda of
Malawi.
 People have no freedoms i.e. they are denied their rights.
 There is a lot of corruption and mismanagement because criticism of the
government is not allowed.
 The police and the army become too powerful and operate above the law.
 The president and political leadership will openly favour their friends and
relatives (nepotism).
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ii). Military Dictatorship

These are governments that come into power through a military coup.

Coup d’etat or Military coup

This is when the army or soldiers take over government power by force from an elected
government.
All military governments are
illegal or unconstitutional.

Reasons Why military governments are dictatorships

 They are not elected by the people hence do not respect their wishes.
 They use force to make people obey their orders.
 They always suspend the constitution therefore take away the people’s rights.
 They kill or imprison opponents.
 They rule by decree i.e. whatever they decide becomes law without any
consultation or debate.

Causes of Military coups

 The tendency of the leaders to cling to power for too long.

 Corruption and abuse of power by those in government.
 Suppression of any forms of opposition.
 Inability of the government to maintain law and order.
 Ambitious and power hungry soldiers e.g. Idi Amin of Uganda.
 Problems of tribalism e.g. if one tribe does not want to be ruled by another.
 Foreign intervention e.g. they can instigate a military coup to remove a hostile
government.

Example:
The U.S.A. through the C.I.A. helped Mobutu to take over power in Zaire.
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DECISION MAKING PROCESS IN BOTSWANA

The government has several bodies that are responsible for the smooth running of a
country. These institutions of government are included in the Constitution of the country
including their main roles, responsibilities and powers.

There are basically three parts of the government:

(i) The legislature

 Also known as the Parliament, Assembly or Congress.

 It consists of elected members, for example Members of Parliament.
 Its main function is to make laws for the country.
 They also debate policy issues brought by the Executive.
 The representatives also have to bring to the government’s attention the plight of
the ordinary people e.g. development concerns of the citizens.

(ii) The Executive

 This is the arm of the government that implements the policies and enforces the
laws of the country.
 It is the body that is responsible for delivering development in the country.
 It is divided into ministries responsible for different portfolios, for example
education, defense, health, planning etc.
 Ministers form the Cabinet which is the supreme decision making body in a
country.
 Either a President or a Prime Minister leads the cabinet.

(iii) The Judiciary

 It ensures that the laws of the country are obeyed.

 It consists of courts, judges, magistrates and lawyers.
 It protects people’s rights and makes sure that the government operates within the
constitution.
 It is independent of the Legislature and the Executive.
 It should administer justice without fear or favour i.e. it should be impartial.
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The Electorate or Ordinary People

The ordinary people have a very important role to play in the decision making process in
Botswana. They directly and indirectly influence the decision making process by the
government.

For example:

(a) The kgotla meetings:

People can meet at the kgotla to discuss the following:

 Village development plans e.g. the construction of a school or clinic.

 District council affairs through discussions with the councilors or district officials
such as the District Commissioners.
 Consultative meetings with their M.P’s.
 Government Ministers usually address kgotla meetings to either inform people
about government policies or to consult them on certain issues, for example the
proposed constitutional changes dealing with minor and major tribes in Botswana.
 b) Elections: People are indirectly involved in the decision-making process
through voting for their representatives at Local government level (i.e. councilors)
and national level (i.e. parliamentarians). The elected officials will try to put
forward the wishes of their constituents.

Role Of The Government In The Economy.

 Development and maintenance of the country’s infrastructure. E.g. roads,

railways, power lines telecommunications etc.
 Maintaining peace and stability through the use of the police and army within the
constitution.
 Provision of education and training for its citizens.
 Provision of health care to all the citizens.
 Planning for development so that the resources can be used reasonably.
 Providing capital for investment in new enterprises e.g. C.E.D.A. loans.
 Running parastatals that provide services at reasonable costs.
 Direct investment in the economy. For example the government of Botswana
invested heavily in Debswana and industries like Kgalagadi Breweries, Bolux
milling etc.
 Giving people access to credit by lowering interest rates and controlling inflation
at low levels.
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Mobilising Economic Resources

The government has to raise money for development and running of the country. The
money/income raised by the government is known as revenue.
The government revenue is used mostly for:
 Investment in infrastructure.
 Provision of free education and health.
 Building more factories to produce more goods.
 Pay the salaries of the civil servants.
 Pay for military hardware e.g. guns, tanks, fighter planes etc.
 Arts, sports and cultural activities. Etc.

How the government raises revenue

 Income taxes: money charged on salaries by the government. Also known as Pay
As You Earn (P.A.Y.E.).
 Company/Corporate tax: money charged by the government on profits made by
private companies.
 Sales tax: This is included in the price of goods and services sold to the public.
For example in Botswana it is known as Value Added Tax (V.A.T.) charged at
10% of the total value of goods and services.
 Profits from parastatals: or state owned companies like B.P.C.
 Selling licenses: e.g. road, radio and T.V. licenses.
 Import duty: money charged on goods bought from foreign countries at the border
posts.
 International loans and grants: from foreign governments and international
financial institutions like the World Bank, African Development Bank.
 Domestic borrowing: from banks, insurance companies and from the public
through the floating of treasury bills.
 Fees: By making members of the public pay for public utilities like hospitals and
schools.

Difficulties Faced By African Governments In Raising Revenue

Most African governments do not raise enough revenue hence their expenditure far
exceeds what they are able to gather. This explains why most of the countries are in debt.
Governments are not able to raise enough revenue because:
 There are very few industries.
 The majority of the people are subsistence farmers who do not pay any taxes.
 Most of the people in the urban areas are unemployed and depend on the informal
sector activities, which do not pay tax.
 Dependence on cheap raw materials means low tax returns.
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 Difficulty of raising loans internationally because most of the countries are

already heavily indebted.
 Corruption and mismanagement: corrupt politicians and civil servants usually
pocket revenue.