Sebudubudu, David, and Patrick Molutsi. "The elite as a critical factor in national development: the case of Botswana". Nordiska Afrikainstitutet, 2011.  

The paper examines the role of the coalition between the political leaders and elites as a critical factor in Botswanan’s development. The paper focuses on their social-cultural roots and how this has shaped coalition building among the political elites and afford them a collective vision for national development. The authors describe this as a grand coalition of ethnic, racial and regional interests that defines the multi-racial character of Botswana’s development. The paper explains how traditional leaders and modern political elites manage opposing worldviews to institutionalize power without any major conflict. The authors conclude that Botswana has been successful in blending some aspects of traditional institutions into the modern structures of governance. This was necessary as chiefs were very powerful (they controlled land, natural resources, culture and tradition) before independence. At independence chiefs sought to retain some of their powers whilst the new elites felt that chiefly rule was undemocratic and had to be replaced by a national democratic government. Through the house of chiefs, the chiefs form an advisory part of the parliament in Botswana. They are also considered national leaders who conduct judicial appeal cases, custodians of culture and tradition across the country.