Conclusions and recommendations

The conclusion and recommendation drawn from this study present an optimistic view on the strategies adopted to bridge the existing digital divide. This hopeful conclusion was borne from theresearcher‟s interpretative approach (Dobson 2002; Maxwell 2013:43) and the adopted critical theorists‟ view that research has to help “find remedies to social ills” or have an “emancipatory interest” (Benoit 2007)

As seen in the first two chapters of this study, the digital divide displays two broad trends: the gap resulting from the absence of the technologies in the community; and the difference or gap in how the community uses or fails to use the available ICTs. This trend has been observed in this study. Despite the observed digital divide, the community used the ICT public centres to access social services; to alleviate poverty

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and to keep themselves informed. The centres were helpful in supporting both business and delivery of social services in the village. This principal conclusion further translates into another conclusion that the community was optimistic on the advent of ICT public access centres as a strategy to bridge the digital divide.

The study therfore contributes knowledge needed to map out how ordinary citizens embrace global, regional and national initiatives to bridge the digital divide. (Davison et.al. 2000:6; O‟Neil 2002: 94; Evusa, 2005:67; Akinsola, Herselman & Jacobs 2005: 37; Elijah & Ogunlade 2006: 55). The study‟s contribution towards mapping the digital divide importanatly shows that even in a small rural village, there are different tpes of divides that have to be understood from the given context. This study does not only showcase the content from Botswana but also also affirms the theory that the digital divide is a broad concept with complex interrelated factors. The fact that the study acknowledges a digital divide even though there are different types of ICT public access centres in the village further attest to the earlier assetion that the the gap cannot be bridge by one single solution.

In the second chapter of this study, the discussion on the different theories that related to the digital divide showed that the development of intervention strategies was in most cases guided by the implementing body‟s theoretical stance or philosophical position (Falconer & Mackay 1999: 287; Maxwell (2013:39). A similar trend is observed in the conclusion on the type of ICT public access centres in Letlhakeng. For example, the embedded ICT public centres emerged as driven by government‟s ethical concern and political responsibility for addressing social inequalities. The stand-alone centres on the other hand were motivated by the owner‟s economic drive. The services offered and the usage patterns therefore differed in line with the motive for establishing a centre. The role played by both the embded centres and the stand-alones as such demonstrate the fact that the challenges of access and usage of the technologies call for a triangulation of theories and for involvement of role players with different expertise. Although this author was referring to access and usage of especially Internet cafes in Tanzania, similar sentiments have

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been observed despite the significant investment in supportive ICT structures in Botswana (Mogotlhwane, Khosrowshahi & Underwood 2013: 1054).

Although there was a general appreciation of the ICT public access centres in the village, the study observed differences in users and non-users as units within the information society. Even within the user community accessibility related to both affordability and availability of the technologies. The community‟s access and usage of the centres was influenced by both socio-economic factors (e.g. lack of skills, time, money and interest) and structural factors. The observed variations reflect what Norris (2001) noted as a continuation of the already existing social divide. For example, the out of school youth preferred free access at the library because they could not afford paid for services. However, the workers could not afford to wait for free services at the library because of time constraints. The usage pattern of people from neighbouring villages like Kaudwane and Sorilatholo further demonstrated how the factors related to poverty and harsh dessert conditions influenced the use of the centres at Letlhakeng.

There were also variations amongst non-user communities. For example, the school principal chose to be a non-user despite having the technologies. Other non-user were restricted by lack of access; lack of skill and at times lak of awareness of the need to use the available services.This finding resonate Selwyn‟s (2003: 99) condemnation of the general misconception that non-users of the technologies are purely the “have-nots.

The differences between the centres also related to the factors of funding and social stratum.For example, the only two stand alone centres that benefited from government support belonged to young males swith university degree qualification and also related to influential community members.

The recommendations drawn from this study are as inter-related as the factors that can be used to define the nature of the divide in the village. These are presented so as to inform policy and practice on the provision of ICTsservices that are needed to enable rural communities to access social services. The secondary intent is to contribute

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Botswana specific scholarly knowledge in the discourse on the digital divide so as to help in the global mapping of both digital divide and the intervention strategies. it is for this reason that all the recommendations are loaded with inbuilt recommendations for further research so as to inform the proposed intervention.

It is also important to declare that although the recommendations emanate from the case of Letlhakeng, some generalisations emerged where a need for a countrywide action was observed.