Political Economy of Botswana Public Sector Management: from Imperialism to Neoliberalism

Neoliberal management reforms restructuring the public sector in Africa and Botswana are embedded in a global scenario. The author shows how powerful capitalist global institutions, such as the World Bank set and shape the agenda for change at a national level. Like previously, imperialism via the neoliberal ideology seeks to resolve systemic crisis through new markets. This is the driving force behind the process of transformation of the public sector which occurs mainly through privatization. For the majority of people and workers in the global South who depend on public services for employment and for basic needs such as water, health and education, there are profound consequences. Services previously provided for free have become expensive and inaccessible as they are now marketed to make profit. Similarly, many government workers have suffered from increased work intensity as a consequence of new public management practices, such as performance management system. Privatization leads to an intensified process of outsourcing which results mainly in precarious jobs.