Of beef wars and the ordinary farmer

Capitalism is a system of organising the economy that has many merits. At the apex of its successes and achievements is the element of greed. The conundrum here is that it is greed that fuels capitalism. Without greed, it would not be such a successful (in so far as production is concerned at least) system.

Greed is necessary for capitalist growth though at the same time becoming its worst enemy. The current wrangles over the beef markets and the monopoly of the Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) is a classical case of capitalist greed, with one side thinking it has enough influence to dominate the market and subordinate all else to its whims and wishes. The constant lobbying and desire to become the new BMC by the predominantly white Ghanzi 'big farmers' provide an interesting spectacle -  one that could be disastrous for the traditional small holding farmer - and will likely not spare the BDP.