Botswana has, since independence in 1966, been governed uninterruptedly by the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) and its economic growth-rate record has been impressive, at the expense of diversification, persisting inequalities and weaknesses in human development. From being one of the poorest countries in the world at independence, Botswana is now classified by the World Bank as an Upper Middle Income country, with a per capita GDP at purchasing power parity of almost $8000 (Human Development Report, 2003:280 and Republic of Botswana, 2001).
Because of such growth rates and the fact that it has been ostensibly operating a stable liberal democracy from the outset (in contrast to most African countries before 1990, with the exception of Mauritius), Botswana has been showered with praise and has been repeatedly dubbed the "African Miracle" (a phrase originally coined by Thumberg-Hartland in 1978, repeated by Samatar, 1999). The bulk of the literature on Botswana is heavily imbued with celebratory positions. Much of this is idealistic and largely economistic in its approach, missing much of the political dynamics of the country's pre- and post-independence experience.
