Notes

BOTSWANA SPECIFICITY: VISION 2016
When Botswana became independent in 1966, it
was one of the poorest countries in Africa. In the
four decades following independence, remarkable
progress has been made, thanks to the discovery
and effective management of mineral wealth, good
policies and accelerated investment in the provision
of basic services.
In 1997, following a long process of consultation
with a broad range of stakeholders, the Government
of Botswana finalised the “Long Term Vision for
Botswana: Towards Prosperity for All”, known as
“Vision 2016”. It follows the five national principles
of Democracy, Development, Self Reliance, Unity
and ‘Botho’. The latter is a Setswana word for
“Humaneness”. Vision 2016 calls upon all citizens
of Botswana to embrace and manage the process of
change in accordance with the following pillars:
Pillar 1: An Educated, and Informed Nation
Pillar 2: A Prosperous, Productive and Innovative
Nation
Pillar 3: A Compassionate, Just and Caring Nation
Pillar 4:A Safe and Secure Nation
Pillar 5: An Open, Democratic and Accountable
Nation
Pillar 6: A Moral and Tolerant Nation
Pillar 7: A United and Proud Nation
“Vision 2016” articulates Botswana’s long-term
development aspirations and provides a broad
framework for development. The development
process is guided by six-year National Development
Plans (NDPs)
1
. The NDPs are guided by Vision 2016
and, since the year 2000, the MDGs.