The development of Tswana merafe and the arrival of colonialism -- Tswana consolidation within the colonial state: development of a postcolonial state embryo -- Cattle, diamonds and the 'grand coalition' -- Keeping the population in the societal fold: the state's capture of Indigenous authority structures -- Tswana domination, minority protests and the discourse of development -- Anti-politics and issues of democracy and domination -- The governmentalization of the state: state interventions in the population -- Escalating social inequality: popular reactions to political leaders
Summary
Botswana has been portrayed as a major case of exception in Africa--as an oasis of peace and harmony with an enduring parliamentary democracy, blessed with remarkable diamond-driven economic growth. Whereas the "failure" of other states on the continent is often attributed to the prevalence of Indigenous political ideas and structures, the author argues that Botswana's apparent success is not the result of Western ideas and practices of government having replaced Indigenous ideas and structures. Rather, the postcolonial state of Botswana is best understood as a unique, complex formation, one th
