2

1 (a) Describe the role of non-governmental organisations in environmental care.

1. Advocacy work/advisory role/assist in legislation: Non government organisations

support legislation promoting environmentally friendly practices / Also lobby
business / big corporations to adopt environment friendly practices.

2. Watchdog role: take a critical eye over developments and react to activities deemed
environmentally unfriendly.

3. Tree planting: support tree planting to improve the quality of the environment.

4. Education/research: NGO’s mount public education sensitizing people on the need

to take care of the environment, researching about certain environmental issues to
find possible solutions

5. Funding/sponsorship- financial assistance for some projects geared towards

conservation of the environment

6. Litter-picking- NGOs can spearhead clean-up campaigns and also provide

resources used in cleaning of the environment e.g. dustbins and plastic bags

1 mark for a point made and 1 mark for its expansion [6]

(b) Explain three ways in which the local farmers may mismanage the Okavango Delta.

1. Indiscriminate waste disposal/pollution/littering/oil spills- this can destroy the

aesthetic value of the delta and therefore turn off potential tourists. It also
endangers the livelihoods of flora and fauna living in and around the delta.

2. Overharvesting of veld products/over-hunting and fishing can deplete the

whole stock of species and disturb the whole ecosystem

3. Noise pollution, noisy machinery used by farmers can disturb the environment
and scare away animal species.

4. Encroachment of wildlife in human settlements/farms- this can result in

depletion of wildlife as humans often kill wild animals under the pretext of
protecting their own stock. This includes killing of endangered species which
may lead to their extinction.

5. Deforestation- indiscriminate cutting down of trees may result in soil erosion

and destruction of the scenic beauty of the Delta.

6. Poor farming methods- some farmers lack knowledge on good methods of

farming and end up using those methods that have negative consequences on
the environment e.g. ploughing along the slope, overstocking and
monocropping.

1 mark for a point made and 1 mark for its expansion. [6]

(c) Assess the role of Environmental Impact Assessment in promoting environmental care.

Positive:

1. Protects the environment from unnecessary harm- If it is found that a proposed

project may cause irreparable harm to the environment such a project could be
abandoned to protect the environment.
 3

2. EIA evaluates potential risks or effects of a proposed development / on the

environment and remedial action can be taken to mitigate the effects on the
environment.

3. EIA promotes consultation/exchange of ideas- ensures that proposed projects

undergo public scrutiny and consultations are carried out extensively with relevant
stakeholders and this affords the concerned people the opportunity to be heard.

4. Leads to long-lasting projects/ promotes sustainable development- this saves

government revenue as less money will be used in maintaining sub-standard
projects.
Negative / disadvantages of Environmental Impact Assessment

5. EIA is an expensive and laborious exercise requiring sufficient time and money. At
times the process is compromised due to these constraints resulting in sub-
standard work and negative consequences for the environment

6. Much of the information is descriptive and superficial and decisions may be taken on
the basis of insufficient information

7. The use of complex technical language limits public participation / difficult for the
public to understand and consequently a project may be undertaken without the
public realising fully its potential damage on the environment.

8. Sometimes information offered by the assessors may be misleading and biased and
this can lead in wrong decisions which could harm the environment. This may
pave way for a corruptly conducted EIA.

9. Alternatives are often not thoroughly explored leading to projects being undertaken
which have less regard for the environment.

Positives: 1 mark for a point made and 1 mark for a clearly supported and
concluded (maximum 4 marks)

Negatives: 1 mark for a point made and 1 mark for a point clearly supported and
concluded. [Maximum 4 marks] [8]

2 (a) Outline six major stages for the formation of government in Botswana.
1. Registration of political parties

2. President signs writ of elections

3. Election day announced

4. Conducting of general elections

5. The party that wins the highest number of seats is declared the ruling party and its
president is sworn in as the head of state and government.

6. The president is tasked with the responsibility to appoint cabinet ministers and other
key government officials. These are charged with the responsibility to execute the
national development agenda.
 4

7. Parliament meets soon after elections to appoint speaker of the National Assembly
and endorse the vice-president of the republic.

8. Subsequently parliament committees are elected

9. The leader of the second best party becomes the leader of the opposition.

1 mark for a point made [6]

(b) Explain three main features of Botswana’s constitution.

1. The Republic: declares Botswana a sovereign republic headed by a president.

The president comes from a party that won a majority of seats in parliament.
2. Protection of fundamental rights and freedoms: explains the rights and freedoms
that citizens are entitled to.
3. Citizenship: explains different ways of acquiring citizenship in Botswana The
executive: explains the powers/functions of the president and the cabinets
4. Parliament/legislature: outlines powers of parliament, its functions and procedures,
law-making body.
5. Judicature/judiciary: concerned with enforcement interpretation of the law
6. Protection of human rights – the constitution provides for protection of fundamental
human rights such as the right to life, the right to own property and right to privacy
and freedom of association and religion.
7. Finance: concerned with public expenditure
8. Public service: concerned with appointment of public officers
9. Miscellaneous: concerned with issues such as resignations, re-appointments and
con-current appointments.
1 mark for a point made and 1 mark for its expansion. [6]

(c) Assess the extent to which the constitution of Botswana limits the power of government.
Positive:

1. Separation of powers/division into 3 branches – the constitution provides for

the formation of three arms of government to ensure than none wields too
much power. This separation of powers creates a balance between the three
arms of government.

2. Limited presidential term – the constitution limits the president’s term to two 5
year terms. Limiting presidential term affords the country an opportunity to
elect a new president at the end of the term of the previous holder of office.

3. Consultation – constitution creates room for consultation with the government

before any constitutional amendment can be made. Consultation gives the
public an opportunity to air their views on matters presented to them for
consideration.

4. Rule of law – the constitution provides for the rule of law. Government is
obliged to honour court decisions. This adherence to the rule of law limits the
power of government because decisions of the courts are binding even if such
decisions may not favour the government.

5. Government can be challenged by civil society i.e. ordinary people have the
right to sue the government if it abuses its powers.
 5

6. Parliament can pass a motion of no confidence on the government: this

promotes accountability on government

7. Oversight institutions – constitution provides for creation of oversight

institutions like anti-corruption agency and the Ombudsman.

8. Media freedom – constitution provides for the existence of diverse media and
expression of one’s views without interference as long as one does not infringe
on the rights of others.

Negative:

9. Presidential immunity - the presidential immunity clause prevents the public

from taking a sitting president to court. This creates a perception that the
president is above the law and therefore untouchable.

10. The constitution is perceived to be conferring a lot of powers on the executive.

For example the president has the power to expel foreigners from the country
who are deemed to be a threat to the country and he is not obliged to disclose
reasons for his decision in this regard.

11. The parliament of Botswana is deemed less independent of the executive

because it gets funding from the government. This creates an impression that
parliament cannot bite the hands that feeds it.

12. Some individuals are members of two branches of government e.g. the
president. This is to say that the parliament is perceived as a mere rubber
stamp of the decisions of the executive because they can initiate policies in
one branch and endorse those policies via the other branch.

13. Oversight institutions’ independence is questionable; there is plenty of

influence from the executive on institutions such as IEC and DCEC. This
comprises their ability to execute their duties independently.

14. Lack of adequate consultation on some issues that require the involvement of
other stakeholders e.g. 3% salary increment which was reversed because
other stakeholders were not consulted.

15. Positives: 1 mark for a point made and1 mark for a appoint clearly
supported and concluded (maximum 4 marks)

Negatives – 1 mark for a point made and 1 mark for a point clearly supported and
concluded (maximum 4 marks) [8]

2 (a) Explain three negative impacts of the HIV/AIDS on the economy of Botswana.
1. Loss of skilled manpower: HIV/AIDS claim lives of the most productive and
able bodied work force which hampers productivity.
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2. Pressure on government budget/Delays economic development: funds /

resources are diverted from development projects to focus on fighting the
scourge.

3. Loss of family income/loss of bread winners. Bread winners die leaving

families stranded and sometimes families have to depend of
government’shand-outs.

4. Scaling down population growth – Botswana’s population is checked and this

slows down the growth of the local market.

5. Scares away potential investors as some investors are unwilling to invest in

country infested with HIV/AIDS.

6. Decline in productivity as victims of the scourge are frequently absent from

duty because of the sickness.

1 mark for a point and 1 mark for its expansion [6]

(b) Describe three strategies of promoting peace among Botswana’s ethnic diverse group.

1. Cultural festivals/expressions/freedom – efforts are made to grant every

cultural group the right to freely express its culture, festivals encourage
tolerance and friendship amongst different ethnic groups.

2. Promotion of Setswana as a national language – has somehow helped to

create national cohesion and a spirit of togetherness.

3. Fair distribution of development. Efforts are being made to spread

developments evenly across the length and breadth of the country.

4. Promotion of Inter marriages – marriages take place across cultures and this
has cemented relations between tribes.

5. Legislation/Equality before the Law/formulation of laws that are not

discriminatory – constitution should place everyone on an equal basis in front
of the law. No ethnic group should be above the Law.

6. Education: through forums such as workshops, seminars and curriculum

people can be taught about the importance of aspects such as peace and
tolerance of other ethnic groups.

1 mark for a point and 1 mark for its expansion. [6]

(c) Assess the role of the International Red Cross in promoting human life, dignity and peace.

1. Provides basic necessities of life to the needy – food, shelter – to restore

human dignity. Provision of basic needs to the needy is saving many lives
which could otherwise have been lost.

2. Provides medical care, first aid help to the wounded in conflict situations in
a bid to sustain human life. In war times, the Red Cross engages in life
saving interventions to prevent unnecessary loss of lives.

3. Provides relief or assistance in terms of evacuations in countries struck by

natural disasters such as earthquakes and by so doing it provides the
necessary help enabling people to cope with the trauma.
 7

4. The International Red Cross provides medical supplies to the victims of war
to facilitate speedy recovery and to ensure that they are entitled to proper
care and love.

5. In the event of natural disasters, the International Red Cross extends

humanitarian help and care to ensure that victims cope with the trauma and
evacuate victims to safe places.

6. The International Red Cross lobbies for humane treatment of prisoners of

war and refugees. This ensures that they are provided with the necessary
basic needs and are not subjected to abuse as per the agreements of the
Geneva Convention.

7. Donation of blood to save lives of those people who lost blood in wars,
victims of disasters and other people who suffer from low blood pressure.

Negatives- 1 mark for a point and one mark for expansion (maximum 4 marks)

8. Delayed response/Inaccessibility of population needing help – sometimes it

is difficult to access populations needing help before a ceasefire is agreed
upon. The situation frustrates the work of the international Red Cross
leading to untold human suffering.

9. Politicisation of humanitarian aid/Misuse/mismanagement of resources:

Some governments may frustrate the work of the International Red Cross
by diverting aid from its intended destination to other less deserving areas
due to the influence of local politics. When this happens, human suffering
continues

10. The work of the International Red Cross is sometimes limited by safety of
its humanitarian aid workers. Where there is no safety it is difficult for the
Red Cross to access needy people resulting in loss of human lives

11. Lack of respect for International Red Cross in war torn countries, some
elements may not accord the Red Cross the respect and space it deserves.
Some people doubt the neutrality of the International Red Cross and in the
process frustrates delivery of aid.

12. Shortage of resources: sometimes the Red Cross may not be able to
accomplish its mandate because of shortage of resources such as
manpower, transport, blood and finance as some donors may be reluctant
to sponsor the Red Cross.

Positives – 1 mark for a point and 1 mark for a clearly supported and concluded
point (maximum 4)

Negatives – 1 mark for a point and 1 mark for point clearly supported and
concluded (maximum 4) [8]
 8

3 (a) Explain three challenges facing the agriculture sector in Botswana.

1. Poor soils – most soils in Botswana are poor and therefore not suitable for
crop growing.

2. Poor farming farming methods/lack of farming skills: Farmers especially in

the country side still cling to primitive methods of farming such as broad
casting of seeds and planting along the slope. This leads to environmental
problems such as soil erosion and leaching.

3. Lack of markets – farmers do not have markets for produce and some
products are highly perishable, which constitutes a loss if unable to secure
markets. Some buyers offer less attractive prices.

4. Lack of rainfall – Botswana is a semi-arid country and rainfall is low and

unreliable and as such droughts are a common occurrence. This
consequently leads to a decline in productivity

5. Pests and diseases: results in destruction of farmers’ yields and loss of

livestock

6. Land-use conflicts/wildlife-farmer conflict: animals destroy farmer’s crops

which may create conflicts between farmers and the wildlife department.

7. Lack of capital: farmers do not have enough money to buy farming

equipment/machinery that can be used to improve production. They end up
using traditional methods which lead to poor productivity.

1 mark for a point and 1 mark for its expansion [6]

(b) Discuss three ways in which young people contribute to Botswana’s economic
diversification efforts.

1. Acquisition of relevant skills suitable for different economic sectors – our

young people are the most productive and qualified part of the labour force
– they are better placed to participate in various sectors.

2. Self-employment/utilisation of government schemes: Through agriculture

schemes like ISPAAD and Young Farmers Fund our youth are increasingly
getting involved in farming which is paving the way for Botswana’s food
security. [technical assistance]

3. Through the help of commercial banks and CEDA our young people are
increasingly getting loans to venture into business and the manufacturing
industry.[financial assistance]

4. Music and arts industry. The music and entertainment industry is growing
in leaps and bounds and this is a youth dominated industry.

5. Participation in decision-making: by taking an active role in making policies

that will promote economic diversification

1 mark for a point made 1 mark for a clearly supported and concluded point
(maximum 4 marks) [6]
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(c) Assess the impact of global economic factors on Botswana’s economic development.

For:

1. Facilitates foreign investments for Botswana: Botswana has got a healthy

foreign reserve helping to mitigate the effects of external economic shocks.

2. Loans and grants from other countries and organisations – Botswana

maintains healthy relations with the outside world and her prudent fiscal
management makes her credit – worthy even when faced with global
economic challenges.

3. Prudent management – Botswana manages her economy prudently and in

difficult times the country practices belt-tightening measures enabling her
to weather challenges like the economic recession. E.g. during the
recession the country re-ordered her priorities paying attention to matters
which affect the welfare of citizens (through introduction of social safety
nets.)

4. Devaluation of currency: makes Botswana exports cheaper and therefore

more accessible to other countries.

5. Provides a market/trade relations for Botswana main exports, this enables

Botswana to gain foreign currency.

Effects – 1 mark for a point and 1 mark for a clearly supported and concluded point
(maximum 4 marks)

Against:

6. Economic recession: created a budget deficit which can lead to long term
debts for the country.

7. Fluctuation of prices in world markets: Botswana’s economy is anchored on

the sale of diamonds outside. During the world recession proceeds from
diamonds fell drastically. Reduced diamond revenue caused the country to
suspend development projects. Botswana faced a challenge of failing to
award a salary increase to civil servants leading to a labour strike by
disaffected workers in 2011.

8. Global inflation: a rise in oil prices overseas leads to a rise in fuel in

Botswana. This impacts negatively on the cost of living in Batswana.

9. Changing world political climates: e.g. the collapse of the Zimbabwean

economy led to an influx of economic refugees from that country which put
pressure on Botswana resources.

10. Reliance on imports of food stuff – Botswana relies on imported food stuff
from South Africa – labour strikesin South Africa affect supply of food.

11. Devaluation of currency: this has made imports to be more expensive for
Botswana.
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12. Unfair trade relations: e.g. Aid with strings attached gives Botswana no
choice but to accept negative terms of trade because she is not
economically stable. Some loans are accompanied by very high interest
rates which makes it difficult for Botswana to pay back and also commodity
prices in world markets are determined by rich countries not necessarily
the selling country.

Mitigating factors – 1 mark for a point made and 1 mark for a clearly supported and
concluded point (maximum 4 marks) [8]

4 (a) Explain three challenges facing self-employed people in Botswana.

1. Lack of business skills – The self-employed face a challenge of not having
requisites skills to manage and sustain their business undertakings..

2. Limited markets/competition with already established businesses –

Botswana population is very small and hence the market is too small.

3. Lack of capital – people who are self-employed often face the challenge of
lack of capital to start their own business or to pay for expensive utilities
such as water and electricity.

4. Shortage of land/serviced land: some self employed people often fail to get
plots where they can operate their businesses from. They end operating
from their home which negatively affects productivity.

5. Lack of security or vulnerability to crime: self employed people often do not

afford installation of security devices resulting in them being robbed of their
valuable assets.

6. Bureaucracy and red tape: sometimes the process of acquiring assistance

in terms of money and licenses is very complex and demanding and as
such some potential business people often lose hope and decide to quit.

7. Natural disasters: this affects especially those people based on agro-

businesses as droughts, extreme weather conditions can lead to
destruction of their products.

1 mark for a point made 1 mark for its expansion [6]

(b) Explain three ways in which gender disparities caused by culture can be addressed.

1. Education – extend equal opportunities for schooling to both boys and girls.
This offers girls and boys equal opportunities to succeed later in life.

2. Equal opportunities: e.g. business, employment, inheritance, property

ownership etc. Traditionally some jobs are considered the exclusive
preserve of men. Efforts should be made to extend equal employment
opportunities to both sexes. For example women should be empowered to
venture into farming and engineering fields.

3. Equal leadership opportunities– traditionally women do not assume

leadership positions. Societies should allow women to become traditional
 11

leaders and be allowed to become heads of departments. Merit should be

the determining factor not sex when making appointment. Traditionally the
man is the head of the family and this should not be the case, women
should be accorded space to make decisions at family level.
4. Change in constitutional laws/policies to promote gender equality e.g.
implementation of gender quota in the workplace.

1 mark for a point and 1 mark for its expansion [6]

(c) Evaluate the role of the Botswana government in human resource development.

Positive:

1. Access to education/10 year basic education – Botswana has built various

schools from pre-primary to tertiary to educate Batswana. Education is
free and accessible to all Batswana.

2. Setting up of Human Resource Development Council – Botswana has set

up the Human Resource Development Council to help to align
qualifications with labour market requirements.

3. On the job training/job shadowing/apprenticeship – government has set up

a special training levy to encourage private companies to improve the skills
of workers while in service.

4. Upgrading tertiary institutions so that they offer more advanced courses.

5. Allowing private institutions to operate in the country to reduce congestion

in government schools and also to increase diversity of courses offered.

6. Sponsorship/external placement: financing education and also sending

students abroad to study for those courses that are not offered locally.

7. Promotion of health awareness to encourage a healthy labour force

Negative:

8. Unemployment still common despite all the efforts by government because

some qualifications are relevant to the needs of the labour market and also
government has not created enough employment opportunities to absorb
all graduates.

9. Access to education by disabled people remains a challenge.

10. There is still a challenge of school dropouts in remote areas which reverses
the efforts to have trained personnel.

11. Shortage of schools in some areas/Most tertiary institutions are biased

towards urban centres and major settlements: this disadvantages students
from remote areas who often encounter accommodation issues
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12. Lack of resources: some schools are dilapidated and do not have enough
equipment such as computers and l

learning support devices.

Positive - 1 mark for a point and 1 mark for a clearly supported and concluded point
(maximum 4 marks)

Negative – 1 mark for a point made and 1 mark for a clearly supported and
concluded point (maximum 4 marks) [8]