The days of Sir Seretse Khama, Sir Ketumile Masire and Festus Mogae are gone and long behind us.
With their exit from the scene, Botswana has taken not one but many steps backward, especially in establishing a new generation of leaders who are committed to promoting development by the use of their imagination to create new ideas, solve problems and inspire others to dream big.
Gone are the days when Botswana offered a window through which the rest of Africa could imagine the possibilities of economic prosperity and political stability; the days when Botswana’s record in most sectors was indeed a success story from which other African countries could draw valuable lessons; the days when Botswana’s moral superiority was not bogus.
Special mention has to be made of Botswana’s overall economic situation at the time of independence with 90% of the population in poverty, which is why other people thought that only ‘very brave or very foolish’ people would, in Botswana’s awkward situation and uncertain future, ask for self-rule instead of pleading to be incorporated.
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