Transcript The Role of Social Protection in Promoting Social

By Prof Rodreck Mupedziswa, PhD
Head, Department of Social Work, University of Botswana
and
Dr Dolly Ntseane, PhD
Senior Lecturer, Dept of Social Work, University of Botswana
Paper Presented at International Symposium on Social Protection in Southern Africa: New Opportunities; Held at
Centre for Social Development in Africa, University of Johannesburg, 24-26 May 2011.
Organization of Paper
 1 Introduction/Background
 Overview of Incomes and Social Protection
 Traditional (Informal) Social Protection Arrangements
 Modern (Formal) Social Protection Arrangements
 Implementation Challenges and Constraints
 Conclusion and Way Forward
 References
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Introduction/Background
 The definition of the term social development is
contested.
 Khinduka
(1987:22) has observed that social
development is “variously conceptualized as a
perspective, a paradigm, a set of values, and a model of
organizing human affairs…….(adding that) .. it is an
incorrigibly elusive concept”.
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Definition of Social Development
 For UNDP (2005.5) the term social development refers
to “the continuous promotion of more equitable
distribution of opportunities, income, assets, services
and power in order to achieve greater equality and
equity in society”.
 The International Consortium for Social Development
(ICSD:1) conceptualizes social development as “the
building of social, economic and political capabilities
of individuals, families, communities, nation states
and international organizations” .
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Definition of Social Protection
 . The definition of the term social protection is equally
contested.
 Holzmann
and Jorgensen (1990), define
protection as a public intervention to
individuals, households, and communities to
manage risk, as well as better provide support
critically poor.
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social
assist
better
to the
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Social Protection Package
 Various African Union documents describe social
protection as a "package" of policies and programmes
whose aim is to reduce poverty and vulnerability of
large segments of the population, through a "mix" of
policies/programmes that promote efficient labour
markets, reduce people's exposure to risks, and
contribute to enhancing their capacity to protect and
cover themselves against lack of or loss of adequate
income, and basic social services
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Purpose of Paper
 This paper examines both the formal and informal the
social protection regime in Botswana with a view to
determining the extent to which this set of initiatives
have promoted social development.
 What have been the impacts?
 What have been the constraints/challenges?
 What is the way forward?
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Overview of Incomes Poverty
and Social Protection in Botswana
 At Independence in 1966, Botswana relied mostly on subsistence agriculture,
cattle farming and remittances from migrant labourers to South Africa.
 In recent times the country has been reclassified as a middle income country,
one of only a few in Africa.
 However, according to UNDP (2006) , currently the poorest 20% of the
population got a measly 4% of the national income, while Konopo (2006) notes
that the richest 20% of Batswana earn almost 60% of the total income.
 Those largely affected by poverty include older people, children, youth and
female headed households, particularly those based in rural and remote areas.
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Overview of Incomes Poverty
(continued)
 In response to vulnerability, the GoB provides a dual
regime of social protection: relatively good formal
social protection for the categories of the employed
and low protection for the categories of the
unemployed, poor and the rural citizens. .
 The evolution of these schemes has been guided by
the political process and influenced heavily by the
socio-economic and cultural environment obtaining in
the country.
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Traditional (Informal) Social
Protection Measures
 These traditional (informal) measures were principally
predicated on the notion of what in local parlance is
referred to as botho.
 The concept of botho is linked to cooperation and working
together; it compels individuals and families to care for the
needy out of a moral obligation.
 The principle of botho appears to be consistent with what is
termed ubuntu in South Africa and is variously referred to
elsewhere on the African continent as vumunhu, vhuthu or
humanism (Khoza, 1994).
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Informal Social Protection
Measures (Continued)
 Concept of motlhoki (destitute) exists in Setswana vocabulary;
family provided needed support and care.
 At community level, solidarity and reciprocity were reinforced
through mafisa, majako and go tshwara teu.
 Traditional leaders/chiefs redistributed surplus food and cattle,
to the poor during drought periods.
 Volunteerism - at community level helped too in enhancing
solidarity and social protection in Tswana society.
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Formal Social Protection Measures
 An analytical framework (for vulnerabilities) Ellis,
Devereux & White (2009) in their book Social
Protection in Africa, is adapted for use in the paper.
- Food and basic needs deprivation for the extremely poor,
the destitute and older persons;
- Income and asset depletion, resulting from retirement,
sickness, and death;
- Low yields and other natural disasters;
- Impacts of HIV and AIDS on households.
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Food & basic needs deprivation for extremely
poor, destitute & older persons
 Vulnerability to basic needs deprivation and extreme
poverty mostly affects people with disabilities; orphans and
vulnerable children (OVC), poor pregnant and lactating
women, infant children of poor women and older people.
 Social protection schemes adopted by the Government to
respond to these and related needs have included the
Destitute Persons Programme, Remote Area Development
Programme (RADP), the Vulnerable Groups Feeding
Programme, the School Feeding Programme and World
War II (WW11) Veterans Allowance.
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Income and asset depletion, resulting from
retirement, sickness, and death
 Workers and their families often experience a loss of income as a result
of exposure to risks such as illness, injuries, unemployment and
retirement.
 A non-contributory pension scheme for public officers enacted in 1965
provided pension upon retirement at age 60 years, or on medical
grounds.
 In 1987, the Government launched a contributory pension scheme -
the Botswana Public Officers Pensions Fund.
 Workmen’s Compensation is available for workers for injuries suffered
or occupational diseases contracted in the course of their employment
or for death resulting from such injuries or diseases.
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Low yields and other natural disasters
 Adverse climatic conditions contribute to the marked decline in
Botswana’s agricultural sector.
 Other challenges have included frequent droughts, the usual
bottlenecks: e.g. limited access to credit, high input costs, low market
prices, inadequate economic infrastructure and HIV and AIDS.
 -Mitigating measures include drought relief projects under Ipelegeng,
Although the history of this initiative dates back to the 1960s, it gained
currency in the 1990s.
 Ipelegeng involves carrying out essential development activities. The
programme targets unskilled and semi- skilled labour, and it is
envisaged as a source of supplementary income.
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Impacts of HIV and AIDS on Households
 Since mid-1990s this pandemic has eroded gains made in reducing morbidity
and mortality as well as reduced life expectancy by more than 10 years.
 GoB provides access to treatment(ARVs, etc), voluntary testing and counseling,
prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) and related services.
 The Orphan Care Programme responds to the growing number of orphans in
the country particularly as a result of erosion of the extended family system.
 The Community Home Based Care (CHBC) programme “provide(s)
comprehensive care services at home and at community level in order to meet
needs of terminally ill patients (in particular PLWA).
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Implementation Challenges,
Constraints, Shortcomings.
 Lack of inclusiveness: Those affected by exclusion
include: people with disabilities; remote area dwellers;
informal sector operators. Migrants too are not included.
 Lack of sustainability: The schemes tend to focus on
poverty alleviation than on providing sustainable
livelihoods. Constraints include lack of skilled personnel
and lack of motivation and imagination.
 Resource scarcity: There is a critical shortage of
resources, both financial and human, to ensure that the
vast majority of potential beneficiaries are reached.
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Implementation Challenges and
Constraints (Continued)
 Lack of a legal framework: There is essentially no proper
legal framework exists to enforce the implementation of
social protection schemes; they are provided through
policy guidelines .
- A legal framework would facilitate enforceability; rights
based focus.
 Lack of scope for graduation – Many in the schemes
which are meant to be short term, e.g. Destitute
programme have failed to graduate (i.e. Rehabilitation).
Need to determine the challenges in this regard.
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Implementation Challenges and
Constraints (Continued)
 Lack of coordination: Social protection schemes in
Botswana have tended to be rather fragmented.
- Hence, lack of coordination, poor implementation,
ineffective utilization of resources , lack of
accountability.
- Lack of proper coordination creates inefficiency as at
times it has resulted in registered persons not
receiving assistance or in ‘double dipping’.
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Implementation Challenges and
Constraints (Continued)
 Inadequacy – The amounts of cash transfers (for
example) tend to be only a fraction of the family
needs. Need to keep track of inflation.
 Lack of integration – The schemes lack integration,
they do not ‘speak’ to each other – hence such
problems as ‘double dipping’.
 Lack of mechanisms for monitoring and evaluation
of programmes. Hence impact of initiatives unclear.
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Conclusion
 Social protection does play a critical role in promoting
social development in Botswana.
 However, some schemes are riddled with shortcomings
(ranging from inadequate amounts to poor
administration, and these need particular attention.
 The important role of traditional (informal) social
protection measures
appreciated.
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Way Forward
 Government should help promote some of the potentially




viable traditional systems of social protection.
There is need for an integrated approach to enhance
move towards self-reliance. E.g. micro finance could go
together with the food basket.
There is need to increase awareness of entitlements;
some potential beneficiaries are not fully informed.
The Government should decisively deal with institutional
and administrative challenges, including issues around
targeting, corruption, etc.
Need for the authorities to put in place Monitoring and
Evaluation Measures.
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