A friend in Gaborone sent me a text message saying: “Your president is here for two days, what do we do with him?”
That was cruel!
I would have suggested sending Robert Mugabe to my home village of Dukwi, via the Francistown Center For Illegal Immigrants, hoping that the old animal might see how disastrous the choices and decisions he and his fellow African leaders make are to Africa.
Every African country, including Botswana, has a refugee somewhere in Africa or elsewhere.
Come on youths from all of Botswana’s political parties. Sit down and let’s talk.
Botswana is like no other country in Africa.
Oh, yes!
Now, before you throw those broken bricks at me, allow me to ask you something.
Which countries became independent before Botswana?
I see countries like Somalia (1960), Burundi (1962), Gambia (1965), Sudan (1956), Central African Republic, Chad and both Congos and Nigeria (all 1960).
Rwanda became independent in 1962 and Lesotho became independent about a week after Botswana got its independence.
Of these countries, which one of them would people of Botswana like to live in? These are countries whose independence was established before Botswana gained its own so they must have experience in good governance and in taking care of people.
So, go on; choose one, please.
Of course, there are others I did not list here but which one of all countries that became independent before Botswana would you choose to settle in? Consider security, economic and political climate?
Okay, wait a moment! I see you are hesitating.
While you are scratching your head in thought, may I ask which countries became independent after Botswana?
I see countries like Equatorial Guinea and Swaziland (1968), Eritrea (1993), Namibia (1990), South Sudan (2011) and, of course, Zimbabwe in 1980, not forgetting the monster South Africa (1994).
Of these countries, which one of them would people of Botswana like to live in? These are countries whose independence was established after Botswana gained its own independence so Botswana had more experience in good governance and in taking care of people than these newer nations. There are more countries that became independent after Botswana, which are political borderline cases, like Mozambique, Namibia and South Africa.
My question is why Botswana has managed to stay its course when those countries that gained independence before and after it are failing either politically, economically or both?
There is something about Botswana that is special to itself. Yes, you might have bad leadership.
You might not like your president and want to make some changes.
Yes, you might have hero-worshipping Members of Parliament.
Yes, you might have corruption and all sorts of ills and things might not be going the way you want and all.
But Botswana has what most African countries do not have and that is the means to make the changes the people desire. It is quite possible.
In other African countries opposition parties do not have such room to agitate for change. Since independence 35 years ago, Zimbabwe has had only one president.
Lucky you, Botswana!
While I do not underestimate the dissatisfaction that some people of Botswana might have, I also would like to urge them to protect what they have while they make the improvements they desire.
A few days ago, Botswana played host to Mugabe and you treated him well and even allowed him to lecture you while pre-election violence by his supporters is rising to dangerous levels in Zimbabwe. He was happy to play statesman with you without telling you what he did with a young reporter, Itai Dzamara, abducted by his goons on March 9th this year.
To him, it was business as usual in Botswana, a time for him to show off SADC leadership while Zimbabwe is burning and the economy is in the intensive care unit.
While the people of Botswana should exercise their freedom and right to get what they want in terms of leadership, they must stay focused and not admire the sugar-coated nonsense surrounding them in the whole of Africa.
Botswana must not play games with itself because it does not have time to spare in the jungle of Africa’s politics where those in power collude to shortchange the citizens. When we complain about Mugabe, Batswana think we are playing games.
When a colleague at work loses a relative or a loved one, fellow workmates almost always whisper among themselves and buy at least a condolence card which they pass around quietly among themselves for every workmate to sign.
It is a nice collective thought of acknowledgement of sorrow. A gesture of togetherness within a community of those who spend their times together for a common purpose.
But, as the card finishes its way around the office, inked in heavy and numerous signatures, one of the colleagues declares that he is not going to sign the condolence card.
Heads will turn, first in surprise at the audacity then to enquire as to who would dare do something like this at this particular time.
No one will negotiate or urge the workmate to sign; this is one thing that has nothing to do with negotiation or encouragement.
The card will quietly be moved along to the next person.
But that is not the end of the matter. Not by a long shot.
Everybody starts thinking about the reason why their colleague did that.
The conclusion is unanimous: there is something between these two workmates or between the deceased and this one particular workmate who would not be part of a collective message of condolences to the bereaved.
The workmates will sort of ignore it all and proceed to register their solidarity in sorrow with their bereaving workmate…but the issue will be talked about for years to come and might forever keep those involved apart. This is precisely how Zimbabweans feel when, in the midst of burying one of our own, killed by Robert Mugabe, or when we are beating every bush and looking into every mine shaft for one of ours abducted and made to disappear by Mugabe some people outside our borders give Mugabe a podium to lecture those who commit less crimes than himself. Go on and give him an ear, Botswana; it is fine. Politics has a boomerang effect; it always comes back to the source.
In spite of its problems, whether financial or political, Botswana must think and understand why they are still by far better than countries that gained independence before and after it.
They must be doing something right. Yes, they can polish what they have but there is something Botswana has that is not elsewhere and it is not diamonds.
It is the people of Botswana!
Do not be side-footed by murderers like Mugabe or coerced by evaporating wealth extravagantly abused by South Africa.
Now, let me start my letter to Botswana before my Editor tells me my space is gone.
“Dear Botswana,
Because I truly care about you, I am writing to warn you to guard what you have very jealously because it is much more than any other African country has.
Keep your disagreements internal because you, at least, have (although imperfect) change of presidents – something many countries never experience.
Do not be fooled by the seemingly greener grass outside your borders before you check if that grass is not growing over a leaking sewer pipe…”
Damn, here comes the Editor!
To be continued…
