State Culture and Development in Botswana and Zimbabwe

The two neighbouring States of Botswana and Zimbabwe have experienced dramatically different fortunes since independence. During the twelve years from 1980 Botswana’s GDP increased in real terms by an annual average of 10.1 percent. In Zimbabwe, GDP grew at an annual average rate of 3.8 percent during 1980-1989, and at 0.5 percent annually in 1990-1996. This article examines how these divergent performances can be explained. It argues that independent Botswana was able to generate and sustain a type of developmental State because of the presence of an indigenous initiator State culture that was preserved by the Protectorate State and was inherited by the postcolonial State elites. The non-emergence of the developmental State in postcolonial Zimbabwe is explained by the presence of a non-initiator indigenous State culture which was preserved by the Rhodesian colonial State and was inherited by the postcolonial State elites. The article briefly reviews the literature, analyses Tswana and Shona precolonial State cultures, and shows that these were preserved by the colonial States and inherited by the nationalist politicians. Bibliogr., sum.