The trajectory of citizen economic empowerment in Botswana after fifty years: an endless road of hapless policies

Abstract

Citizen economic empowerment is one of the most aged policies of the Government of Botswana, as was implied in Botswana’s first national economic plan - the Transitional Plan for Social and Economic Development of 1966-1971. Overtime, the policy developed into an intrinsic and integral economic policy of Botswana. In 2012, the government promulgated the Citizen Economic Empowerment Policy. Notwithstanding its old age, the policy suffers from along-standing failure to deliver. This paper traces the trajectory of citizen economic empowerment in Botswana, and further identifies challenges and opportunities for reform and improvement. It is argued that the main problems reside in the system of implementation, and therefore the solution to a sound implementation of citizen economic empowerment policy can only be found inthe promulgation of a law on citizen economic empowerment with institutions focused on delivering the policy.