Michael Dingake
1 April 2008
column
Lt General Khama is a uniquely blessed person. Some are born great, some acquire greatness and others have greatness thrust upon them.
Ian Khama was born under the aura of greatness in the Khama royal house; he acquired greatness through army training, becoming deputy commander at 24; today he has had greatness thrust upon him by a 1997 constitutional amendment which made it possible for him to be handpicked by Mogae for VP, and subsequently his successor. Thobela!
Wait! It is April Fool's Day. Automatic succession may be a hoax. Does subsection 35(i), read in conjunction with other subsections confer full powers on Khama or merely make him acting president, a virtual prisoner of the legislators for 18 months, notwithstanding the swearing-in ceremony conducted? That is for lawgivers and MPs. I write, aware that in our crisis-phobic society, the constitutional text faux pas, is unlikely to lead to a crisis.
The new president faces a number of challenges which should confirm his ultimate claim to greatness. What he does henceforth, will inform the present and coming generations of his greatness. The dovetailing of birth, acquisition and imposition criteria for greatness, it is hoped, will constitute a mighty convergence of ultimate greatness in one man, to help delivery of the greatest interest to Batswana and Botswana. A supreme challenge stares Khama in the face. He has a series of modular tests to pass before qualifying for an award of a certificate, diploma or degree in the final examination.
There is a groundswell of public opinion that the 'automatic succession amendment'- of constitution, be repealed and substituted by 'a presidency popularly elected.' This test, the newly inaugurated president should pass with distinction and have it implemented prior to the 2014 general elections. The first reason why he should pass this test with ease, is, he dare not miss the opportunity to prove, he is indeed more popular than his party, as alleged; otherwise his fate will be lumped-up with his party's looming demise, in 2014 forecast by the late Ngobe the muti man from Zambia.
Secondly, born in the democratic Batswana tradition, raised under the banner of a daring lurch towards a democratic Africa, genetically and instinctively, he must be able to grasp the essence of democracy, better than his two predecessors. Democracy is a process, to be nurtured, and adapted to new conditions, not allowed to shrivel due to vicissitudes of the weather. Batswana are among the first nations to embrace democratic Africa. Khama should be the last to look on when democracy slides. Automatic succession is a backward step, a travesty of popular democratic participation. He must halt the unmilitary retreat; failure will be unbecoming of him.
Entrenchment of a prosperous, vibrant, democratic, foresighted Botswana, depends on Khama avoiding to surround himself with yes-men and yes-women. Puppets undermine a leader's personality and dim his intelligence. In deference to the principle of checks and balances, he must concede Parliament's independence. Parliament, smudges executive performance if employed as rubber stamp; executive role is enhanced when parliament is engaged in an overseer capacity, as it boosts government implementation capacity.
He will have to take the bull by the horns on corruption, by seeing that Hon Joy Phumaphi's motion on registration of assets and liabilities becomes law, by a flourish of his assent. Rhetoric of zero tolerance on corruption, means nothing and will achieve naught, as long as the image of political leaders is masked in inscrutable status of MP, Cabinet Minister, President or senior public servant. The masks have to come off to generate public confidence currently in short supply. Coupled with a code of conduct, the Assets and Liabilities law can change public perception of public figures being the fountainhead of corruption, in many respects. Register of Assets and code of conduct, are not mutually exclusive, but complimentary.
The foregoing theory tests are fundamental and preliminary to the succeeding practical tests:
* Employment creation: Employment is an important means to empower Batswana and wean them from crime and entitlement syndrome. Batswana are not pathological criminals nor good-for-nothing begging-bowl lazybones. The majority of them resort to crime, because a hungry man, naturally, is an angry man, and an angry man is a violent, law-breaking animal. Batswana cannot be associated with any indolence. To have settled in an arid environment tells a story of hardy people prepared to live by the sweat of their brows.
Tilling the land and domesticating animals, depicts Batswana, as an inherent pedigree of a hardworking people. Were it not so, they would be dinosaurs, by now, reduced to that antediluvian species by the harsh conditions. But if authority decrees, by implication, they can go on an indefinite paid holiday, then they will do so and expect authority to cough up regularly! Botswana has potential to wipe out unemployment under a decade, if the new president obliges with political will.
* Skills: Batswana have to be taught life-giving skills, in business, technology, masonry, agriculture, architecture, science, and all other fields. Equipped with these essential skills Batswana will compete with their foreign counterparts, universally, without any claim for protection.
Skilled Batswana deserve to be remunerated adequately. At the moment what obtains, is that Batswana are sidelined in the job market and underpaid, at the expense of cheap economic labour migrants or employees preferred by snooty foreign investors. In the process we reap the fruits of our folly as evidenced by the exodus of health workers to greener pastures abroad, Majors David Bright and innumerable other Batswana yuppies, to neighbouring countries.
* Escalation of crime: Crime is escalating at an alarming rate. To boast tranquility and peace while crime-infested, is a contradiction in terms. The President must come down hard on organized crime and other crimes, by applying both the curative and preventive methods - fully equipping the police and creating employment for adults and recreational facilities for youth.
* Last, but not least: introduce free and compulsory education, and end discrimination against the poor; upgrade them through education. A nation of educated individuals, is invincible, indomitable, poverty-resistant and happiest.
The above dos, are signposts to the President's legendary greatness. Botswana has all the potential to greatness. Ishe morena!
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