A Relational View of San Poverty in Botswana: A Case Study of Khwee and Sehunong

ABSTRACT

Poverty is a persistent problem that characterises San communities in Botswana and beyond. As an indigenous and minority ethnic group in Botswana, the San find themselves trapped in unequal social relations with the Tswana-speaking groups. Since the societal structure is made of unequally perceived social statuses where the San are regarded as “inferior/subordinate” and Tswana speaking groups “superior/dominant,” this presents a complex relationship of privilege and disadvantage, which perpetuates a vicious cycle of poverty for the San in Khwee and Sehunong settlements. Thus, this paper argues that San poverty is a phenomenon not only locked in lack of basic needs, but social relationships of power. Critical social theory, which argues that all social relations are power relations, and those who are dominant use their power to (re)produce their position of privilege, is used to provide a theoretical framework. A qualitative multiplecase study approach using semi structured interviews and focus groups was used to gather data. The findings centred on poverty as being a result of structural deficiencies and the understanding of poverty as an attribute. As such, this paper recommends that poverty alleviation policies and programmes need to address power issues for effective and efficient poverty alleviation efforts.

Keywords:

• Relational power
• San
• poverty
• critical social theory and Botswana