Why is Botswana so much more conervative than South Africa?

[Thunderouskiss391]

Its actually quite unusual for a democratic third-world country to be dominated by a conservative government (conservative in the Western free-market ideology sense of the word) so why was one such party able to establish itself so strongly here, while many of its neigbours turned to the far-left in South Africa and Zimbabwe ?

[SFdude]

Because Botswana was granted independence peacefully. It was an orderly transfer of power from a conservative colonial administration to a local conservative party. The average Batswana barely noticed the difference.

In contrast, most of the other countries in Africa had a civil war or other serious unrest. During these conflicts, the African guerilla fighters were typically getting support from the political left in the West. Whereas the white minority governments were generally supported by the right.

We all know how that turned out. And to the victors goes the spoils. Those former guerillas established themselves as the new ruling class under the rubric of "social democracy." Some, such as Nelson Mandela, did so through legitimate and democratic means. However, most went the Robert Mugabe route and became little more than petty dictators. Their policies certainly have nothing to do with "socialism" as it is known in France, Spain, and the Nordic countries.

Of course, Mugabe and his ilk were never loyal socialists. They were opportunists who tricked naive, gullible foreign leftists into giving them everything they wanted (e.g. weapons, money).

[Roger C]

Botswana (along with Lesotho and Swaziland) did not have to "struggle" for independence. They had a peaceful transition to self rule and independence. In the Cold War era African independence struggles were invariably supported by the Communist Bloc against the Western European colonial powers (all happen to be Nato members). In adition Botswana's population are overwelmingly from a single ethnic group with strong social cohesion and a long tradition of respect for (tribal based) governing structures. Starting a rebellion in such a stable society is almost impossible.

[Tan]

Botswana isnt as westernized as SA, so they still have more "old fashioned" beliefs and values wheares we are exposed more to countries like america, which arent that conservative