allAfrica.com: Botswana: Mogae's Quotable Quotes (Page 1 of 1)

Is there anything to learn from President Festus Mogae's blunders?

An American scholar once remarked that when it comes to "presidential timber", it is painfully obvious that presidents do not all come from the same trees. Some are carved from redwoods, others from sturdy oaks, and then there are those whose origins may well have been milkweeds or hydrangea bushes. Every president shows his roots through his blunders. Where would you place Botswana's outgoing President Mogae? In his 10 years in office Mogae has led an administration of blunders and mistakes that attracted political spectre and glee. You may agree or disagree on which blunder deserves the top spot but Mogae's political memoirs would have to be re-written if the following were left out:

1) In his second year as head of state in 1999, Mogae issued a writ of elections before a supplementary voter's roll had been published and certified. This left 60, 000 potential voters bewildered and caused widespread fears of electoral fraud until he declared a state of emergency to cool the electoral fiasco.

2) In 2003 the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) went up in flames after Mogae publicly said he supported Ian Khama for the position of BDP chairman. The factional battle during Mogae's reign drifted from Tsholetsa House to the Government Enclave.

3) Mogae was dragged to court by the then Attorney General Phandu Skelemani after a referendum blunder.

4) Nobody, will ever forget the day when the president lashed out at squatters in Mogoditshane telling those that were heckling him that he would remove wax out of their ears.

5) Mogae likened his party's maverick MPs criticising him, to uncastrated Billy goats

A few Quotes for Mogae's Memoirs

"The crisis in the opposition should not be allowed in any way to lead us into dropping our guard," - urging Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) cadre after the infamous Palapye BNF split of 1998.

"I take the blame", he said (10-09-1999) when confronted with the question of who was to blame for the electoral crisis resulting in a state of emergency.

"I will be a tough president"- (22-10-1999).

"This was a straight forward commercial investment project, unlike others where we were cheated after giving FAP money for workers and equipment, -dismissing media reports that government had invested in the collapsed Hyundai plant. (04-02-2000).

They investigate on their own, they defer or recommend prosecutions on their own and the prosecutions are determined by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) not by President or Vice President or by Permanent Secretary to the President. If you detect anything go and talk to them Balome tsebe gore mang mang o corrupt, o dirile se nnane and see whether they will investigate or not. You can't blame DCEC if Batswana are corrupt", defending DCEC in an exclusive interview with Mmegi in 2000 just two years after assuming office as President.

"Mr Skelemani is still the Attorney General. He will represent me. He is my chief legal advisor."- (18-01-2002)

"I have not caused the fire but am feeling the heat," - Mogae washing his hands of the a tribal tug-of-war hitting the country, (19-04-2002)

"Am sorry Mr Chairman is angry. The constitutional dispensation allows me to sell the vice president to Parliament and lobby for his endorsement .It was not my intention to anger or provoke anyone, including the chairman"(09-06-2003)

"The male dominated local press writes glibly and even gloatingly about issues such as love-killings, a phenomenon hitherto unknown and alien to our nature and our culture."- (17-05-2004)

"Diphathi tse dingwe tsone di nna di chenja maina ga ntsi, go kile ga nna bo-PPF, BAM jalo jalo, (rubbishing opposition, 19-05-2006)

"I am the commander-in-chief of the military force and I support him. He has been with the aircrafts while with the military and am I expected to stop him when he became the Vice President? It does not make any sense to me. He has necessary licences and was once my pilot when we flew to Kasane, Maun and back to Gaborone", (pledging his support for Ian Khama in 2006)

"He appealed to the international community to reject our diamonds and tourism yet he stayed with us here. He even lied with compatriots, Survival International that we were killing Basarawa like animals (Kanye, 23-06-2006) "It would be very difficult for an African leader to be trusted whilst the media in developed countries constantly projects a negative image of everything African"-, (Vienna, 24-07-2007).

"I'm.... confident that these democratic traditions, institutions and laws - and not men - will not only transcend and survive any pitfalls or political evolution, but will thrive and deepen. The people of Botswana - the architects and visionaries of our political experiment - have succeeded where many have faltered. They can only move forward. They own our democratic culture, and deserve the credit. I was privileged to have been a small part of it,"(Washington, 19-10-2007)

Political reporters should, for example, be familiar with the Constitution and (the) general operations of government, as well as the latest gossip.", (02-12-2007)

It is a special pleasure for me to take part in this momentous occasion. Tonight's official opening of the Diamond Trading Company Botswana (DTCB) is truly a landmark event as it heralds a significant new beginning in our country's already well-established role as a major player in the global diamond industry. (18-03-2008)

I must say I enjoyed every bit of my 10-year tenure as the Chancellor of the University, because it was very fulfilling, challenging and interactive. As Chancellor, I believe I was able to offer cogent leadership, guidance and wisdom on a repertoire of issues of importance to the university and the nation, as and when I had to act and to proffer views and input as necessary. (25-03-2008)

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