SUMMARYThis article argues that efforts by the Government of Botswana to embark on privatisation of some parastatals as well as contracting out the provision of certain services with the main intention of enhancing productivity and strengthening the private sector will not have a negative effect on the strength and nature of the existing strong developmental state. It is argued that the cautious and pragmatic approach adopted by the government, coupled with the fact that privatisation in Botswana is embraced voluntarily (that is not imposed on the country by either the World Bank or the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as a condition for financial assistance), hiving off parastatals to the private sector will not result in the weakening and ultimate demise of the state as it has happened in some countries within Sub Saharan Africa.

In the last two decades an array of management techniques and practices have been adopted and implemented by most governments to ameliorate public administration. This was principally because most governments got ensnared in huge debts, operational inefficiency, and ineffectiveness in service delivery including lack of accountability from political elites and public servants. These problems emanated from the quaint methods of fiscal management that were implemented and practiced resulting in rampant corruption and feeble public services. This led to widespread disgruntlement and demand for good governance hence the rise of the New Public Management (NPM). Theories like public choice theory and principal-agent theory propelled the rise of the New Public Management (NPM) with its consonant reforms and practices of restructuring. The colonial-independence-globalization theory also gave impetus to the emergence of the NPM theory for most former colonies like South Africa which had colonialism of a special type. Most African countries including South

Participatory development has been seen as a panacea for many problems-facing rural communities the world over. Underpinned in the principles of participatory development theory is the participation and engagement of intended beneficiaries of development interventions at the core of successful poverty alleviation and development efforts. Within this view, it is believed that with participation, those who have been relegated to the periphery by conventional development methods will be placed in the inner circles of influence, thus, allowing the marginalised and poor people a chance to be active citizens. However, even though participatory development emphasises the empowerment and active inclusion of the marginalised in development decision-making, in practice there is little evidence that participatory development has indeed changed the rural development landscape as envisaged; many excluded groups continue to be powerless and unable to demand development on their own terms and bargain for resources from an informed position and equitably. Against this backdrop, it is important to understand where the problem lies. Is it in the theory itself or in the implementation of the theoretical principles? Thus, using the critical social theory as a theoretical framework, this article explores claims envisaged within the participatory development theory and practice in the Botswana rural development context.

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