Tuesday, November 12, 2024

Botswana! Oh Botswana!

Botswana! Oh Botswana! Those were the only words Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe could utter in response to ‘attacks’ leveled at him by the Khama-led Botswana government.

The usually ‘big-mouthed’ old man was lost for words. Uncle Bob ran short of reverting, “look who is talking”.

Indeed the things that happen in our country can leave even men of words like me speechless. There is never a dull moment in our country. So many things happened this past week that I don’t even know where to start or what to pick for my deliberation this week. Before the events become stale, let me peep through some of them.

How Guma Moyo’s
resignation exposed so much stupidity

Guma’s resignation has received so much media publicity and triggered a lot of national debates.
I am even reluctant to dwell much on his resignation from the BMD. I couldn’t stop laughing at how BDP supporters celebrated Guma’s resignation despite the fact that he didn’t join their party, at least for now.

I wonder, is it because they are hopeful?

Their excitement reminded me of the time when Kgosi Tawana Moremi resigned from the BDP. Members of opposition parties were so delighted, despite the fact that he too, chose not to be aligned to any of the opposition parties. Are they too hopeful? I wonder.

One other thing that I still find hard to make sense out of is reasons advanced by Guma for his resignation from the BMD.

In his statement, BMD President Gomolemo Motswaledi states that Guma had told him that he had decided to concentrate on his business enterprises as politics was taking much of his time. One would have then expected Guma to resign not only from the party but from parliament as well.

The fact that Guma remains MP for Tati East means he is still in politics and, as such, his resignation from the BMD makes no difference to his time allocation towards his businesses and politics.

But to be fair to him, the man has stated the main reason for his resignation: he felt disillusioned. This is the reason that I can entertain, not “politics take my time blah blah”.

Minister Matlhabaphiri and foreign prisoners

Assistant Minister of Health, Gaotlhaetse Matlhabaphiri told Parliament that the Botswana government has no intentions to provide antiretroviral medication to foreign prisoners suffering from HIV/AIDS and currently languishing in our prisons. More shocking is not government’s refusal to provide foreign prisoners with ARV’s. Rather, the manner in which the assistant minister explains this refusal sounds so insensitive and absurd. It is very insensitive of the assistant minister to say government would rather have the prisoners die than provide them medication.

The assistant minister is reported as having said they will not give foreign prisoners ARV’s because after being released, they go back to their native countries.

According to the assistant minister, it is not plausible to provide foreign prisoners with medication because the prisoners will not be able to continue taking medication once they reach their home countries. I find his explanation ridiculous and baseless.

What makes the assistant minister to believe a Zimbabwean prisoner would not be able to continue with his medication once back in his country? Such stupid explanations should not be tolerated in parliament because they make the whole process of questions and answers in parliament a mockery.

America’s report
on Botswana

One of America’s intelligence units has released a damning report on Khama and his administration.
Well, to some of us the report is not shocking as the contents offer nothing new or anything we have not detected in Khama’s administration.

The only difference is, it has been compiled by the mighty Americans. The report casts aspersions on Khama and the DIS.

The report fears Khama might not want to vacate the State House once his term in office elapses. Well, some of us have always raised those fears. The report says the DIS is clueless and revels at blowing things out of proportion.

Indeed some of us have always maintained that the DIS is useless. They are so stupid they may want to prove their worth by hunting me down for this statement even as I pose no security threat to the country.

The government, through Jeff Ramsay (Tautona Times) seems excited that the American Embassy in Gaborone has distanced itself from the report. Well, that was to be expected.

After all, the report was prepared for the Pentagon and not the embassy here. Knowing the Americans and how smart they are, I will not be shocked if their sudden interest on opposition parties is an indirect fight towards the Chinese.

We know the current government is cozying up with the Chinese and this irks the Americans big time. I am therefore not shocked at the Americans indirect endorsement of the opposition parties.

Julius Malema finally hits back at Khama

We still remember how President Khama once got excited and labeled ANC Youth League President Julius Malema an ill-disciplined boy at a BDP rally in Gaborone.

Malema never responded at the time because it was exactly at the time when the ANC leadership was trying hard to muzzle him. It was at the time when Malema had become a loose canon. Khama was lucky at the time because I shudder to think how Malema would have responded. Now Malema has come out with guns blazing calling Khama’s administration all sorts of names.

Khama had said he is ill-disciplined and he says Khama is a puppet. Khama supporters ululated when he scolded Malema and now they are fuming when Malema returns the favour. I say, what’s good for the goose ought to be good for the gander.

Phandu Skelemani

and his defence of Bingu wa Mutharika
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Phandu Skelemani, stood in Parliament last week to defend Malawi President Bingu wa Mutharika over the political turmoil in Malawi that has left close to twenty citizens dead. We are used to Skelemani shooting from all angles, condemning leaders who kill citizens for protesting their rule.

Skelemani never minces his words when he attacks leaders of countries that do not recognize democracy. Whatever Mutharika gave Skelemani during his recent trip here we are still to find out because this is not our usual Skelemani.

The man is so defensive of Mutharika you need to keep a distance when he talks about him. I will not be shocked to hear that Skelemani has slapped one of his colleagues in parliament for condemning Mutharika.

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