{"id":{"repo_id":"salford","oai_identifier":"oai:salford-repository.worktribe.com:1336392"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/salford/oai:salford-repository.worktribe.com:1336392","repository":{"repo_id":"salford","name":"U. of Salford","base_url":"https://salford-repository.worktribe.com/oaiprovider"},"display":{"title":"The political economy of inequality : poverty, drought and aid programmes in Botswana, c. 1982 - 1988","abstract":"Botswana's pattern of economic growth during its firsttwo decades of Independence has been hailed by manyeconomists as representing a model for successfuldevelopment in Sub-Saharan Africa. From the 1970s thedevelopment of the diamond industry provided the mainimpetus to this economic growth, and allowed thegovernment to make rapid improvements in the provision ofrural health care, primary education, and water supplies.However, despite these improvements to the ruralinfrastructure little has been achieved in stimulating oreven maintaining rural incomes and levels of employment.The nutritional status and economic well-being of asubstantial proportion of the rural population remainsprecarious, especially during periods of drought. Thisthesis argues that the present structure of economicdevelopment serves to preserve and intensify theseexisting patterns of inequality rather than allay them.The first two sections of the thesis are concerned withthe political economy of the country, and the nature andspatial distribution of rural poverty. I argue that thekey to an understanding of this rural poverty lies in thechanging socio-economic role of livestock over the lastfifty years, and the emergence of new class structuresbased on the ownership of cattle. A growing exclusivityin the control of water sources and grazing, encouragedduring the colonial period amongst the tribal elite, ledto a growing inequality in income and assets and thebreakdown of traditional redistributive mechanisms in therural economy. It was this privileged and educated tribalelite, now largely divested of its tribal and kinshipobligations, that gained political power on Independence,and which now forms collectively the largest group oflivestock owners in the country. With access to lucrativeoverseas markets, what had emerged as a growing contradiction between the private ownership of herds andthe continued communal tenure of grazing land, is nowbeing resolved by sweeping changes to the structure ofland tenure. Whereas water borehole syndicates in thepast had had (theoretically at least) an open membershipand did. not preclude the grazing of smaller herds, thenew land tenure policies now promise an exclusive controlover water and grazing on fenced ranches. The existenceof these ranches now threaten the very subsistence baseof many marginal groups.An assessment of the government's commitment to tacklingthe problems of rural poverty can, be derived from a studyof its own welfare programmes. The third section of thethesis is concerned with the nature and effectiveness ofthe food aid and labour based relief programmes over theperiod 1982-88. Whilst these programmes have avertedwidespread starvation, they have done little to protector restore the productive assets of the poor. Rather theyhave served to mask the structural nature of ruralpoverty and inequality and left the process ofprivatisation of the commons to continue unchallen g ed. Insome cases they have also failed to achieve the moremodest objective of alleviating malnutrition: an analysisof relief food distribution for the period revealsserious shortfalls to those marginal groups most at risk.The final chapter summarises the main findings of thethesis and concludes that the fundamental issue ofunequal access to productive assets such as cattle,grazing and water remains unresolved, reflecting the lowpriority afforded by the political elite to the plight ofthe poor. Without seeking to be prescriptive, it arguesfor a radical departure from the present pattern ofeconomic development to one based upon a more equalaccess to productive assets.","abstract_html":"Botswana's pattern of economic growth during its firsttwo decades of Independence has been hailed by manyeconomists as representing a model for successfuldevelopment in Sub-Saharan Africa. From the 1970s thedevelopment of the diamond industry provided the mainimpetus to this economic growth, and allowed thegovernment to make rapid improvements in the provision ofrural health care, primary education, and water supplies.However, despite these improvements to the ruralinfrastructure little has been achieved in stimulating oreven maintaining rural incomes and levels of employment.The nutritional status and economic well-being of asubstantial proportion of the rural population remainsprecarious, especially during periods of drought. Thisthesis argues that the present structure of economicdevelopment serves to preserve and intensify theseexisting patterns of inequality rather than allay them.The first two sections of the thesis are concerned withthe political economy of the country, and the nature andspatial distribution of rural poverty. I argue that thekey to an understanding of this rural poverty lies in thechanging socio-economic role of livestock over the lastfifty years, and the emergence of new class structuresbased on the ownership of cattle. A growing exclusivityin the control of water sources and grazing, encouragedduring the colonial period amongst the tribal elite, ledto a growing inequality in income and assets and thebreakdown of traditional redistributive mechanisms in therural economy. It was this privileged and educated tribalelite, now largely divested of its tribal and kinshipobligations, that gained political power on Independence,and which now forms collectively the largest group oflivestock owners in the country. With access to lucrativeoverseas markets, what had emerged as a growing contradiction between the private ownership of herds andthe continued communal tenure of grazing land, is nowbeing resolved by sweeping changes to the structure ofland tenure. Whereas water borehole syndicates in thepast had had (theoretically at least) an open membershipand did. not preclude the grazing of smaller herds, thenew land tenure policies now promise an exclusive controlover water and grazing on fenced ranches. The existenceof these ranches now threaten the very subsistence baseof many marginal groups.An assessment of the government's commitment to tacklingthe problems of rural poverty can, be derived from a studyof its own welfare programmes. The third section of thethesis is concerned with the nature and effectiveness ofthe food aid and labour based relief programmes over theperiod 1982-88. Whilst these programmes have avertedwidespread starvation, they have done little to protector restore the productive assets of the poor. Rather theyhave served to mask the structural nature of ruralpoverty and inequality and left the process ofprivatisation of the commons to continue unchallen g ed. Insome cases they have also failed to achieve the moremodest objective of alleviating malnutrition: an analysisof relief food distribution for the period revealsserious shortfalls to those marginal groups most at risk.The final chapter summarises the main findings of thethesis and concludes that the fundamental issue ofunequal access to productive assets such as cattle,grazing and water remains unresolved, reflecting the lowpriority afforded by the political elite to the plight ofthe poor. Without seeking to be prescriptive, it arguesfor a radical departure from the present pattern ofeconomic development to one based upon a more equalaccess to productive assets.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Lyons, S"],"institution":null,"degree_name":null,"degree_level":"Doctoral (Level 8)","degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":1990,"date_issued":"1990","date_published":"1990","updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:26:06Z","subjects":[],"languages":["en"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["oai:salford-repository.worktribe.com:1336392"],"render_values":[{"text":"oai:salford-repository.worktribe.com:1336392","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":null,"outbound_label":null,"outbound_source":null},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.sponsor","label":"Sponsor","values":["University of Salford"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Lyons, S"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date","label":"Dc Date","values":["1990-07-01"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["1990"]},{"key":"dc:relation.isreferencedby","label":"Dc Relation Isreferencedby","values":["https://salford-repository.worktribe.com/output/1336392"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationlevel","label":"Dc Type Qualificationlevel","values":["Doctoral (Level 8)"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["en"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["oai:salford-repository.worktribe.com:1336392"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://salford-repository.worktribe.com/file/1336392/1/D095843.pdf"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Botswana's pattern of economic growth during its firsttwo decades of Independence has been hailed by manyeconomists as representing a model for successfuldevelopment in Sub-Saharan Africa. From the 1970s thedevelopment of the diamond industry provided the mainimpetus to this economic growth, and allowed thegovernment to make rapid improvements in the provision ofrural health care, primary education, and water supplies.However, despite these improvements to the ruralinfrastructure little has been achieved in stimulating oreven maintaining rural incomes and levels of employment.The nutritional status and economic well-being of asubstantial proportion of the rural population remainsprecarious, especially during periods of drought. Thisthesis argues that the present structure of economicdevelopment serves to preserve and intensify theseexisting patterns of inequality rather than allay them.The first two sections of the thesis are concerned withthe political economy of the country, and the nature andspatial distribution of rural poverty. I argue that thekey to an understanding of this rural poverty lies in thechanging socio-economic role of livestock over the lastfifty years, and the emergence of new class structuresbased on the ownership of cattle. A growing exclusivityin the control of water sources and grazing, encouragedduring the colonial period amongst the tribal elite, ledto a growing inequality in income and assets and thebreakdown of traditional redistributive mechanisms in therural economy. It was this privileged and educated tribalelite, now largely divested of its tribal and kinshipobligations, that gained political power on Independence,and which now forms collectively the largest group oflivestock owners in the country. With access to lucrativeoverseas markets, what had emerged as a growing contradiction between the private ownership of herds andthe continued communal tenure of grazing land, is nowbeing resolved by sweeping changes to the structure ofland tenure. Whereas water borehole syndicates in thepast had had (theoretically at least) an open membershipand did. not preclude the grazing of smaller herds, thenew land tenure policies now promise an exclusive controlover water and grazing on fenced ranches. The existenceof these ranches now threaten the very subsistence baseof many marginal groups.An assessment of the government's commitment to tacklingthe problems of rural poverty can, be derived from a studyof its own welfare programmes. The third section of thethesis is concerned with the nature and effectiveness ofthe food aid and labour based relief programmes over theperiod 1982-88. Whilst these programmes have avertedwidespread starvation, they have done little to protector restore the productive assets of the poor. Rather theyhave served to mask the structural nature of ruralpoverty and inequality and left the process ofprivatisation of the commons to continue unchallen g ed. Insome cases they have also failed to achieve the moremodest objective of alleviating malnutrition: an analysisof relief food distribution for the period revealsserious shortfalls to those marginal groups most at risk.The final chapter summarises the main findings of thethesis and concludes that the fundamental issue ofunequal access to productive assets such as cattle,grazing and water remains unresolved, reflecting the lowpriority afforded by the political elite to the plight ofthe poor. Without seeking to be prescriptive, it arguesfor a radical departure from the present pattern ofeconomic development to one based upon a more equalaccess to productive assets."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["The political economy of inequality : poverty, drought and aid programmes in Botswana, c. 1982 - 1988"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.sponsor":["University of Salford"],"dc:creator":["Lyons, S"],"dc:date":["1990-07-01"],"dc:date.issued":["1990"],"dc:description.abstract":["Botswana's pattern of economic growth during its firsttwo decades of Independence has been hailed by manyeconomists as representing a model for successfuldevelopment in Sub-Saharan Africa. From the 1970s thedevelopment of the diamond industry provided the mainimpetus to this economic growth, and allowed thegovernment to make rapid improvements in the provision ofrural health care, primary education, and water supplies.However, despite these improvements to the ruralinfrastructure little has been achieved in stimulating oreven maintaining rural incomes and levels of employment.The nutritional status and economic well-being of asubstantial proportion of the rural population remainsprecarious, especially during periods of drought. Thisthesis argues that the present structure of economicdevelopment serves to preserve and intensify theseexisting patterns of inequality rather than allay them.The first two sections of the thesis are concerned withthe political economy of the country, and the nature andspatial distribution of rural poverty. I argue that thekey to an understanding of this rural poverty lies in thechanging socio-economic role of livestock over the lastfifty years, and the emergence of new class structuresbased on the ownership of cattle. A growing exclusivityin the control of water sources and grazing, encouragedduring the colonial period amongst the tribal elite, ledto a growing inequality in income and assets and thebreakdown of traditional redistributive mechanisms in therural economy. It was this privileged and educated tribalelite, now largely divested of its tribal and kinshipobligations, that gained political power on Independence,and which now forms collectively the largest group oflivestock owners in the country. With access to lucrativeoverseas markets, what had emerged as a growing contradiction between the private ownership of herds andthe continued communal tenure of grazing land, is nowbeing resolved by sweeping changes to the structure ofland tenure. Whereas water borehole syndicates in thepast had had (theoretically at least) an open membershipand did. not preclude the grazing of smaller herds, thenew land tenure policies now promise an exclusive controlover water and grazing on fenced ranches. The existenceof these ranches now threaten the very subsistence baseof many marginal groups.An assessment of the government's commitment to tacklingthe problems of rural poverty can, be derived from a studyof its own welfare programmes. The third section of thethesis is concerned with the nature and effectiveness ofthe food aid and labour based relief programmes over theperiod 1982-88. Whilst these programmes have avertedwidespread starvation, they have done little to protector restore the productive assets of the poor. Rather theyhave served to mask the structural nature of ruralpoverty and inequality and left the process ofprivatisation of the commons to continue unchallen g ed. Insome cases they have also failed to achieve the moremodest objective of alleviating malnutrition: an analysisof relief food distribution for the period revealsserious shortfalls to those marginal groups most at risk.The final chapter summarises the main findings of thethesis and concludes that the fundamental issue ofunequal access to productive assets such as cattle,grazing and water remains unresolved, reflecting the lowpriority afforded by the political elite to the plight ofthe poor. Without seeking to be prescriptive, it arguesfor a radical departure from the present pattern ofeconomic development to one based upon a more equalaccess to productive assets."],"dc:identifier":["oai:salford-repository.worktribe.com:1336392"],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://salford-repository.worktribe.com/file/1336392/1/D095843.pdf"],"dc:language":["en"],"dc:relation.isreferencedby":["https://salford-repository.worktribe.com/output/1336392"],"dc:title":["The political economy of inequality : poverty, drought and aid programmes in Botswana, c. 1982 - 1988"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"dc:type.qualificationlevel":["Doctoral (Level 8)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:26:06Z"}