The viability of the welfare state in Botswana

ABSTRACT

Vulnerability, mainly manifesting in poverty, economic risk and insecurities of life, is a universal problem. There are huge pockets of vulnerability in the developing world, particularly Sub-Saharan Africa. Sub-Saharan African states provide social welfare goods to address vulnerability. Social welfare programmes cost money, hence, there is a need to consider issues of sustainability, particularly, given constrained revenue envelopes. Similarly, while Botswana has posted developmental successes, there are vulnerabilities such as poverty, unemployment and income inequality which demand intervention through welfare programmes. Thus, the objective of this desktop study was to discuss the state's response to vulnerability. It concluded that Botswana funds welfare programmes. However, there are affordability challenges, mainly, a constrained post-2007 fiscal space calls into question the viability of the welfare state. The general lesson from the case is that while the welfare state goes to the heart of the social contract, its viability must be guaranteed through reforms.

KEYWORDS:

• Welfare state
• social programmes
• social expenditure
• Botswana
• reform

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Emmanuel Botlhale (PhD) is a Professor in Public Administration in the Dept. of Political and Administrative Studies in the University of Botswana (UB). His teaching and research interests are: public finance & budgeting, financial administration, project management, public policy, governance and research methods.

Thekiso Molokwane (PhD) is a lecturer in Public Administration in the Dept. of Political and Administrative Studies in the University of Botswana.

Notes

1 It should be noted that poverty here refers to abject poverty.

2 The lead author is an example because his parents are middle class.