COVID-19 and the reform of workfare in Botswana

Whilst the economic disruption resulting from COVID-19 prompted calls for the expansion of social protection, many African governments were slow to respond and framed their emergency measures as temporary, in part because of an antipathy to programmes that supported working-age adults without a requirement to work. This article draws on documents and interview to show how the government of Botswana resisted calls to expand social protection and instead prioritised the restructuring of its existing workfare programme away from poverty relief. The existing programme was said to have failed to develop either skills or a work ethic among participants and even encouraged idleness. The COVID crisis prompted the government to effect a reform that promised to develop skills and ‘mindset change’ among poor Batswana. The case-study shows that, even in a crisis, choices over the design of public policy reflect deep-rooted ideological and cultural concerns to discipline poor and unemployed people.