I still do not understand why a lot of people were surprised by the results of the Gallup survey that revealed or confirmed that Botswana President Ian Khama is the most popular leader among his people in the whole of Southern Africa.
There is no how reality could have taken us by surprise. It is simply an act of desperation on our part.
The survey results merely confirmed the obvious. We may attempt to ridicule the study by thrashing its methodology, in particular the study population and the method of analysis but that is only because the results confirm what many people do not want to hear.
Irritating as they are, the results are adequately qualified by the disclosure that ‘the findings suggest that while local economic conditions do matter, other factors may be more significant drivers of a leader’s ratings’. These ‘other factors’ are what should make us curious not the conclusion.
What is also critical to note is the league of African state presidents with whom President Khama competes for the top spot. The results reveal that President Khama is ranked behind the presidents of Benin, Niger, Burundi, Mali and the Central African Republic.
These countries are trendsetters in failed states, dictatorship regimes, political instability and civil wars. They are what we can conveniently call the axis of human rights abuses where anybody could become a state president through bloody violence. They have produced some of the most brutal despots and are some of the poorest in the world. If their leaders are not dictators, they are definitely authoritarian and we are a part.
Dictators are, by their very character, unbelievably popular, especially among poor people.
This is because they are highly manipulative to the extent that most of their people are made to believe that they live in their countries at the pleasure of the leader. In consequence, many people come to believe that their leader is a compassionate and good man who had permitted them to live in his land. In return, ordinary people have to show absolute allegiance to the leader to ensure their continued stay in the country.
I know this may sound weird to many people but the truth is that today’s dictators are smart and very popular such that their popularity makes them creators of all the laws of the land, including those that are entirely unpopular amongst the people. They have their own brand of democracy modeled around polite political repression. They are not as brutal as the likes of Idi Amin but they can be cruel. They use their creative flair to keep the general public a little comfortable, not too little to revolt and not too much to forget who is king.
This is meant for control while at the same time helping people survive hunger. Such leaders regularly introduce pitiful schemes that nevertheless win the hearts of those who are near starvation and who are often in the majority.
A desperate public will never desert their kindhearted leader, hence the high approval ratings in the midst of squalor. Under these circumstances, people would just be happy to live in a dictatorship as long as the dictator helps them to deceive famine by feeding them with stuff like fat cakes. Therefore what would be critical for poor people would not be luxuries like civil liberties or a good life but rather the chance given by their leader to see the sun rise again.
Think of leaders like Fidel Castro, Muammar Gaddafi and Robert Mugabe who were in all respect celebrity presidents among their people yet they did as they please.
A simple reflection on the Botswana situation reveals striking similarities. President Khama’s approval ratings are unbelievably high despite the high levels of poverty among his loyal fans. However, many poor people seem not bothered by their wretched lives as long as there are some pathetic schemes that allow them to temporarily fill their stomachs.
In a sense, President Khama is their savior hence he is worshipped to the extent that it is said that you cannot whisper about him because his has the ability to hear those who talk ill about him wherever he is. As if we have been given a strong dose of love portion, we have come to believe that were it not by the good heart of President Khama, many of us would have starved to death hence we love him more that we love ourselves.
It is believed that those who follow the leader will have eternal life and will not be condemned.
Legend has it that yesteryear dictators had a taste of expensive stuff, especially exotic whisky. Fortunately President Khama does not use alcohol but he has alternatives for his taste buds. Think of that caravan that costs the nation a fortune; think of the never-ending renovations and beautification of the state house; and lately the re-design of some old vehicles that are probably re-done to ensure that the president gets all the attention as he zooms past to the gym. Then there is the ridiculous proposal to procure radios for senior citizens, ostensibly so that they are kept informed about government programs.
In established dictatorship, the media is under obligation to make reference to the leader in all stories broadcast. Now the radios are coming to inform senior citizens about the good programs and schemes created to improve their lives. It is an open secret that propaganda speaks only about the good. In the last few years the Botswana Television news team has come to know that it is an unwritten rule to report politically correct stuff. They know that where necessary, the truth must be falsified to conform to official expectations. Is it by coincidence that under President Khama Botswana witnessed the largest expansion of welfare programs? I guess you now have a clear picture of the Gallup survey results.
