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Botswana: Civil Service, Cabinet Go Military
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Mmegi/The Reporter (Gaborone)
3 April 2008
Posted to the web 3 April 2008
Ryder Gabathuse
Lt. General Khama is a former military commander just like his deputy, Lt. General Mompati Merafhe. Environment, Wildlife and Tourism Minister, Kitso Mokaila is a former army captain. Khama's cousin, Dikgakgamatso Ramadeluka, the new Minister of Justice, Defence and Security left as a brigadier. The ousted Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, Moeng Pheto held the rank of major general.
Further, the militarisation of Cabinet cascades down to the senior management of the civil service where former army officers have been appointed to some crucial posts. The general manager of the Central Transport Organisation (CTO) is retired Lt. Col. Moakohi Modisenyane.
This week, Khama appointed Isaac Kgosi to head the Directorate on Intelligence and Security. Colonel Duke Masilo has been appointed Deputy Senior Private Secretary to the President and Kitso Mokaila's older brother, Tefo Mokaila was appointed private secretary at State House.
Mokaila has been appointed to State House wherehis father served as the private secretary to the late Sir Seretse Khama.
These appointments have started an interesting debate about whether it is right for Cabinet and the public service to be dominated by ex-military men with some of them seconded to government departments.
This raises questions about whether the military has suddenly become the only institution that produces leaders of quality.
University of Botswana (UB) social work lecturer, Log Raditlhokwa fears: "The militarisation of the Cabinet and public service is something that has left people worried a lot. It's an issue that Khama needs to pay attention to or at least allay the fears of the public," says Raditlhokwa.
He fears that if it remains unchecked, it has the potential to threaten the country's prevailing democracy.
The academic says there is already a fear amongst some people that the appointed men of the barracks "could be spies' of the former commanders and not really serving the people.
He was worried about what he termed the undying loyalty of former military men to their former commanders which, he feared, could affect democracy especially during debates on national issues at Cabinet level or even in Parliament.
"For now, it may appear as if it is business as usual until such time when there is a push as men of the barracks will always want to appease their commanders to the detriment of democratic principles".
"The other danger," he says, "is you raise an unnecessary expectation in the military service when they easily rise to top offices. In the literature we see the military as an interest group and they might ultimately lobby for some of the interests because many of them are in these democratic institutions even through unacceptable means".
He fears that serving military men could put pressure on the government demanding certain services and once they don't get what they want "it could then raise some instability".
The academic says it still looks 'okay' because a significant number of them are joining the ruling party. "What about if a good number of them also join the opposition party and ultimately we could see the ex-military men battling for state power and this is unhealthy".
He pleaded that the trend of militarisation must be discouraged for now given the socialisation of the military people generally. In his inaugural speech, Khama talked about discipline. Raditlhokwa believes that there is a military definition of discipline.
"In the military, democracy is curtailed and debate is not encouraged and his discipline could mean something like that". This, he says, has the likelihood of causing some confusion within the public. He is worried that without elaboration, some people could end up misinterpreting the statement relating to discipline.
"Men of the barracks generally think that their values should take precedence over those of the civil rule," says Raditlhokwa. He encourages President Khama and Merafhe to at least drop their military titles when they travel abroad on national assignments.
"I think it will make sense when these men drop the military titles especially that they will find themselves odd men out when thy attend international forums. It might send wrong signals to the world and possibly erode the requisite investor confidence," Raditlhokwa believes.
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He observes that men with military titles have a tendency of writing good speeches but warned: "The investors are likely to wait and see what the Khama regime has in store before they can commit themselves.
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