I still don’t understand what the hullabaloo is all about. People, what’s the fuss!? ANC Youth League President, Julius Malema gives a very simple and straight forward speech and everyone gets nauseous. A soft ‘psss’ from Malema and people sneer and cover their noses. I wonder how people would have reacted had Malema opted to go ‘brrrr’ like he normally does. The Malema speech on Botswana, which has caused so much consternation amongst the BDP and ANC leadership, is one of the most diplomatic I can ever think of.
I have noticed that many people have just joined the chorus to vilify Malema yet they have not acquainted themselves to what he said at the ANC Youth League convention. Despite the fact that Malema’s unedited speech is freely available on the internet, people have become puppets and are now criticizing Malema just because some leaders are doing so. I am one person who often disagrees with Malema. Infact he counts among the ‘victims’ of this column, “no blows barred”. Yes there are times when I feel Malema is being dangerously stupid. I can differ with Malema but I will die defending his right to express his opinion, more especially when I see nothing seditious in his statements. He could be a young man but Malema is a big guy in South Africa. Infact he has proved how big he is even here in Botswana. He may not have stayed long at school but Malema has proved to be more smart and intelligent than a lot of educated morons in our midst.
I took time to go through Malema’s speech and nowhere in his address to the ANC Youth League delegates did Malema ever call President Khama a puppet. You see, I have always warned people to draw a line between Ian the son of Khama and Ian Khama the president of Botswana. The reason people feel Malema referred to Khama as a puppet is, we have foolishly bundled Khama with the presidency.
We have personalized the institution of the presidency around Khama to the point where it becomes difficult to talk about his office without the risk of being seen as talking about his person.
Malema said the government of Botswana is a puppet of the West and everyone here came to the conclusion Malema meant western countries have literally attached wires or strings to Khama’s body.
They now see Khama as Sooty, the famous British glove puppet bear. I doubt that is what Malema had in mind. Unlike Khama who launched a personal attack on Malema by giving an evaluation of Malema’s manners, or lack thereof, Malema chose not to be a sissy by throwing personal jabs at Khama. The young man only gave an assessment on Botswana as observed by him and his colleagues in the youth league. I am still shocked why people ululate when Khama castigates Malema, Gadaffi,Rajoelina,Mugabe and other leaders but cry like babies when he is the one at the receiving end. Khama and his puppets should take the blame for what is happening right now. They go around announcing government schemes and instead of telling the nation that those are government programs, they say “Khama’s programs”. Mananeo a ga rraetsho.
Khama goes around villages endearing himself to poor folks who get social assistance from government. He does this by making it look like he personally pays for old age beneficiaries and those paupers employed in the Ipelegeng program. If people were made to understand that there is Khama the person, who eats and sleeps just like the rest of us, there would be no noise when people like Malema give their honest opinions on our government because people would readily know it is not a personal attack on Khama the person. Now the situation is bad. As it is right now, if you were to go to the Office of the President and complain that their offices are filthy, you may be accused as having said Khama is filthy. I’m surprised that even as people condemn and attack Malema for having said Botswana is a puppet country, no one has come forth to justify why Botswana doesn’t deserve that title.
Malema is being accused of instigating regime change in Botswana. It baffles me that the same people who dismiss Malema as a lunatic with no influence on people, are the ones shivering at his calls for regime change. If they genuinely believe Malema is a non entity, then what’s with the jittery? Its shocking how a 30 year old boy from Seshego can be so powerful as to leave men old enough shaking in their pants. Yet again, I urge people to read Malema’s statement on regime change in Botswana. Malema has said as the ANC Youth League they intend to set up a Botswana Command which will assist opposition parties here to unseat the BDP from government. He did mention that such assistance will be aimed at removing the current government through a democratic process. Now people are accusing Malema of inciting violence and a coup-d’├®tat. People didn’t even wait for Malema to outline the role they (ANC Youth League) intend to play in ousting the BDP. People just make outrageous conclusions that Malema wants to supply Botswana opposition parties with firearms and bullets. I see nothing wrong in Malema’s proposal because I don’t see anything wrong with Malema and his colleagues landing here to teach opposition members how they can campaign and sell their parties to the nation and win elections. The BDP always sends its members to go and learn from other parties outside the country. The BDP Youth Wing President, Bontsi Monare was in China recently to get the assistance that his party wants to deny opposition parties to receive courtesy of ANC Youth League.
As I write this piece, I have it on good authority that the disciplinary hearing against Malema and his youth league colleagues that was scheduled for Monday has not materialized. The ANC top brass, also known as the Big Five and comprising of President Zuma, his deputy Kgalema Motlantlhe, Secretary General Gwede Mantashe, his deputy Thandi Modise and Mathews Phosa, the treasurer-general, were scheduled to meet the Big Five from the youth league being the man at the centre of the storm, Julius Malema, his deputy Ronald Lamola, secretary general Sindiso Magaqa, his deputy Kenetswe Mosenogi and youth league treasurer general Pule Mabe. If you have been smiling like a Cheshire cat hoping it would be a blue Monday for Malema, I’m sorry to let you know Malema has not faced any music for his utterances on Botswana. My warning to the BDP government is, don’t be fooled by the public reprimands on Malema by some members of the ANC leadership.
I will not be shocked to learn that what Malema said about Botswana is exactly what the ANC leadership thinks of the country. Malema is liberated and well off (I don’t give a hoot how he accumulated his wealth) and as such he has no reason to suck up to Khama’s government. Some old geezers within the ANC may find it inappropriate to make such public pronouncements about other countries but they need to understand that the first African country to do away with quiet diplomacy was Botswana and as such, Botswana should be left to have a taste of her own medicine.
President Khama and Minister Skelemani have never missed an opportunity to ridicule other leaders of sovereign countries at times even using unsavory statements. This is their time because, what is good for the goose has to be good for the gander. As for those irrelevant parties who are calling on Botswana to charge Malema with sedition I can only implore them to be thankful to Malema because without him, some of us would never have known they exist. We know they are not genuinely trying to defend Botswana but are merely trying to get at Malema. The freedom front plus (FPS) is an obscure group of frustrated people and they better extend their legal opinion to poor South African citizens who need it. Botswana has official legal advisors who are paid to do the job so I don’t understand why some South African party should tell us who to prosecute and not. If these are the friends the BDP is proud of, all I can say is “tell me who your friends are and I will tell you who you are”. In the meantime, I urge Malema to tjatjarag as much as he wants on Botswana. I intend to invite him to Botswana very soon so we can see who will have balls of steel to tell Malema to “come out, go out!”
