Botswana's e-government development trajectory: The experience of local authorities

Effective development of e-Government takes place when there is a balance between the supply side (interventions towards promotion of e-Government) and the demand side (consumers' willingness to engage in e-Government). Botswana presents a case where e-Government is nearly rhetorical despite the major interventions that are being put in place to accelerate its development. Meaningful proliferation of e-Government can be achieved if there is universal (global) adoption of ICTs by citizens and businesses in their interaction with the government departments. Although there are some applications which potential e-Government consumers can use to interact with the government departments, this facility is not universally accessible to most citizens, especially at the community (and village) level. This chapter highlights the experience of local authorities in Botswana towards promoting the use of e-Government in a bid to bring it to the doorsteps of the people. This conceptual chapter discusses the experience of local authorities in Botswana in promoting the use of e-Government to bring it to the doorstep of the people. It highlights how the country's e-Government interventions at the local authority level are intertwined with the national efforts, and discusses what strategies are in place to encourage global citizen and businesses' utilization of e-Government applications. Further, the chapter posits that there is a huge chance that e-Government will succeed in Botswana if concerted efforts are amalgamated towards its development.