Problems Produced by the Growth Pattern of Botswana's Mineral-based Economy

A bstract . Botswana's record of economic development and social stability is challenged by a set of socioeconomic problems, which threaten the country's progress. They are: (a) inequities in income distribution and asset ownership rooted in agricultural underdevelopment; (b) rapidly expanding demands for water , the supply of which is virtually always uncertain; (c) endemic declines in cereal crop production leading to food insecurity; and (d) progressively more profound dependence upon the Republic of South Africa. These lead to conflict among classes. Botswana's history and aid donors' recent emphasis on basic human needs have led to three initiatives: the Arable Land Development Program, the Tribal Grazing Land Policy and the Financial Assistance Program. But problems remain which must be dealt with.