At their best, the Courtrooms at the Maun Magistrate Court resemble a hospital causality ward with the accused persons nursing all sorts of injuries. In some cases, the accused person would be nursing a broken rib while others would have bandages all over.
This description by Mmegi correspondent Lekopanye Mooketsi is not synonymous with Maun Magistrate Court only but may be prevalent with other courts through out the country as well. Rampant shootings, killings and assaults at the hands of plain clothes security officers have now become a norm and practice under President Ian Khama’s regime. People are being killed and assaulted in chillingly high numbers.
The cold-blood gunning down of John Kalafatis was just a tip of an iceberg. Previously, there have been other cases of this nature and all these were subsequently followed by cold blooded shooting and assaults on many citizens and non citizens alike.
In his last update to Parliament regarding the latest killings, the Minister of Justice, Dikgakgamatso Seretse, if I am not mistaken reported 16 and probably is still counting.
I doubt as to whether he also had the statistical data on reported cases of assaults by security officers on individual citizens and non citizens because the numbers would have been a hair raiser.
Amongst the many victims brutally gunned down at the hands of plain clothes security officers includes Mothusi Sephiri of Maun.
Mothusi Sephiri was shot at his home in Sanyedi ward in what appeared to have been a case of mistaken identity.
Even the police and the leader of the patrol team on that fateful night Gaositwe Nyame have admitted that Sephiri was not the suspect they were looking for. After taking Sephiri’s life, the police gave Sephiri’s family P 5000.00 for funeral costs, but the poor family was warned that this did not mean that the police were taking full responsibility for the shoot.
Jeffrey Ogopeng of Serowe, Zachariah Rankwalla of Palapye and Marate Molebalwa of Palapye’s are no more. The trio was shot dead on the 3 December 2008 by the police on alleged robbery of security company vehicle that was transporting money in Serowe. Previously in September 2008, Francistown police killed three other alleged robberies who were believed to be foreigners.
Criminal offences of any nature and robberies should not be condoned in a country that has received many accolades like Botswana. However, the alarming scandalous shootings, assaults and brutal killings by plain clothes security officers are cause of concern and tantamount to genocide.
Their explosive rate calls for the intervention of international criminal watchdog. Security Officers cannot just go around the place, shooting and assaulting people for this or that. This should not be tolerated and unfortunately the victims may never see the end of justice since dead men don’t tell tales.
Security officers have become law unto themselves and justice is settled through the barrel of gun on the alleged criminal suspects. This phenomenal development has gotten human rights activists completely worried and they have expressed their concerns about the number of cases in which the police have shot suspected criminals and innocent people like (Mothusi Sephiri) to dead.
Interestingly the state’s does not consider such killings as anything to write home about and it is on record that one or two killings should not be considered bad.
At the same time the Deputy Commissioner of Police Kenny Kapinga is also on record stating that it could only be alarming when the police start shooting chicken thieves and pick-pockets instead of armed criminals.
However, it is on record that some of the alleged criminals and innocent individuals gunned down were not armed. One would therefore, be compelled to ask for the categorization and classification of chicken thieves and pick pockets and seek to place some of the Bakgatla trial cases within this domain and determine the nature of course of action undertaken.
Whilst Kgosi Kgolo Kgafela II and Bakgatla-ba-Kgafela royals and their tribes men are facing a series law suits leveled against them, other cases are still lacking behind such as the one who ordered the cold blood gunning down of John Kalafatis and the criminal shooting of Mothusi Sephiri amongst other things.
These series of law suits and their motivating factors have left Log Raditlhokwa very suspicious as reflected in the Midweek Sun of 7 July 2010. Raditlhokwa stated in that the ‘State’s principal reason for pursuing Kgosi Kgolo Kgafela II isn’t inspired by human rights violations as we have been hoodwinked into believing but rather some significant politicians have surreptitiously pushed for litigation against Kgafela.
As a continuation from the 1st August 2010 Sunday Standard article, Kgosi Kgolo Kgafela II: On political tightrope (Part 1), I find it disturbing and a very un-wise for the person of Ian Khama’s caliber ÔÇôa national father figure to have stooped so low to castigate and portray Kgafela II in the manner in which he did in his interview with Donald Seberena on the 6 May 2010.
Ian Khama’s motive has far reaching implications. For far too long Ian Khama has been making newspaper headlines for the wrong reasons, something that personally frustrates him and is bound to psychologically stress him.
If he continues in that line and fails to heed to advice of improving on his public image and public speaking skills, then his road to destiny is disastrous.
General Khama has been on a critical path way of self-destruction and has dragged his name in the mud by engaging in political street fight and pedestrian politics. When he ascended to Presidency Khama had a lot of goodwill and support.
He destroyed it. He is the chief architect of his demise. When he went on the rampage and took a swipe at the venomous Julius Malema at Diswinking freedom square in Old Naledi on the 21 May 2010, I was completely puzzled.
What I found disturbing about his personal attacks on Malema and other leaders was the level of excitement he aroused in his fan club. There were endless dancing, ululations and shouting of party slogans ‘Kuka Domkrag’ Kuka!! ‘A jeke Domi’ ‘Motho wee!! ‘Monga lefatshe wee’!!
If I am not mistaken the Chairperson of the BDP Culture and Publicity Committee was in attendance as well as the Press Liaison Officer at the Office of the President.
I also noticed the presence of many tenderpreneurs who were equally excited by Khama’s castigations. That ‘Mampara’ was there as well and was in the company of Khama’s number one academic praise poet.
General Khama must just accept that he is not a super hero, an extra-ordinary human being who can from time to time go on a deliberate crusade belittling and taking a swipe at other leaders, calling them ‘Diphokwana (Billy goats)’, unprincipled, intolerant, selfish vultures and monkeys (www.iss.co.za).
His personal attacks are so emotionally and psychologically touching that he has even made some of them publicly cry. He must have respect for them as well, irrespective of ideological and political differences.
Since independence, Botswana has been served well by its 5 national principles of Democracy, Development, Self-Reliance, Unity and Botho in almost equal measure. Amongst these, Botho includes positive attributes expected of a human being such as respect, compassion, helpfulness, politeness and humility.
This principle plays an important role in the way we as Batswana interact in society. It is through this principle that we are able to derive morality. This observation was clearly articulated by Sipho Madisa, Press Liaison Officer at the Office of the President, on ‘The Telegraph’ 28 July 2010.
Madisa’s statement on the spirit of ‘Botho’ was reiterated by Shaw Kgathi, Chairperson of the BDP Culture and Publicity Committee. A question may therefore, arise ÔÇô Does the fundamental principle of Botho have boundaries? Does this principle really have exceptionalities?
After Khama’s hate speech on Julius Malema and other leaders at Diswinking freedom squire, I opined on the Sunday Standard of the 6 June 2010 that I wouldn’t want to see my President being ridiculed by a young man of Malema’s caliber some day.
As a result of Khama’s self destructiveness, BDP political ragga-maffins, errand boys and girls whom he often addresses by derogatory pet names will find themselves in an unfortunate situation by having to defend the indefensible.
The poor public administrators will in the process of defending the political god father have no choice but to resort to offering publicly introductory course on learning and understanding English as a foreign language (ENG 101).
On the other hand BDP political ragga-maffin’s only remaining defensive mechanism will be the issuance of threats to those who hold different view to theirs and will remind such culprits that they should know that they are public servants and must know that whoever pays the piper calls the tune.
Those individuals and culprits must know that they will be blacklisted and must be prepared to face the music. They will be subjected to petty institutional corridor gossip.
Landmines, as well as bobbie traps will be deliberately set for them by institutional schemer, in order to ruin their careers. Even those leaders who claim to be honest, faithful, disciplined and transparent will be pushed to undertake harsh drastic career damaging decisions against them.
Such leaders will have no choice but to obey the instruction lest they find themselves being sacrificial lamps.
These leaders may also be aware that they themselves have been appointed to their leadership positions through organizational corridor lobbying and thus surpassing well deserved candidates.
It is the expectation that chieftaincy and politicians work together harmoniously without unnecessary frictions.
It was un-wise therefore, for Ian Khama to vent out his anger and political frustrations on the young Kgosi Kgolo Kgafela II. Kgafela is not responsible for the BDP split and the massive exodus of its members to the Orange Movement.
Ian Khama is faced with a mammoth amount of task at BDP and must be advised to utilize and save his energy in saving his father’s party from total collapse. Instead of embracing and supporting the youthful Kgosi in his drive to unite his tribe and coming up with good developmental projects that will benefit his people, he unfortunately chose to go the opposite direction.
He is used to everything being centered on him. In the midst of all these, one is compelled to reluctantly ask the question that was raised by one Kenneth Dipholo on the Sunday Standard of 29 March 2009 ÔÇô Just what is so special about Ian Khama?
What I find so ironic about all these is that Kgosi Kgolo Kgafela and Bakgatla-ba-Kgafela have gone an extra mile and a step further by implementing his Khama’s Presidential Task Force recommendations. Kgosi Kgolo Kgafela II has gone on record to quash illegal floggings in Kgatleng.
I therefore, call upon and challenge Khama to grant Donald Seberana another 35 minutes exclusive interview, not an ambush or well rehearsed questions.
It is about time Khama tell the nation about the explosive and volcanic eruption of corruption scandalous currently bedeviling the country under his political leadership.
He must tell the nation about how he intends to deal with his first cousin ÔÇô Dikgakgamatso on his alleged conflict of interest and insider trading, he must tell the nation about how he intends to deal with the alleged procurement of a P 45 000.00 fridge for his cousin Dikgakgamatso.
Ian Khama must in that interview tell the nation about the alleged siphoning of funds from the National Disaster Relief Fund and tell the nation under what circumstances were those special funds transferred to the spy agency.
He must tell the nation who authorized the transfer and why, how much was used and for what? ‘O tshwanetse go tlhalosa go re go tsile jaang gore madi a rugwe jaana? by this spy agency. In that interview Ian Khama must tell the nation about the alleged expenditure of P300 000.00 on household furniture by his former colleague at the BDFÔÇô Onkokame.
He must in that interview explain to the nation about the alleged continuous winning of tenders by the very same ÔÇô Onkokame and tell the nation what is it that he has done to tackle those issues, since Ministers only disclose to him their assets.
Khama may if he wish walk the talk and tell the nation his investments in the tourists industry. He must tell the nation his position on the land question in Botswana and as to whether he finds it necessary to have a land audit in the country.
He must also talk about and show commitment on the declaration of assets by the legislators, chief executive officers of parastatal corporations etc and his close cronies. He must also talk about BDP succession planning and provide his position on comprehensive constitutional review.
Khama must talk about educational crisis and issues of tertiary sponsorship, he must also talk about health systems and services, he must tell the nation whether he doesn’t consider HIV AIDS a number one priority, he must talk about the availability and procurement of ARVs, Khama must tell the nation how much money has been made from alcohol levy and what has it been used for.
Khama must tell the nation about the current state of affairs regarding Botswana’s foreign reserves and why there is too much excessive borrowing all of a sudden under his leadership. Khama must tell Seberana what he feels about his position of wearing two hats, doubling as a politician and chief.
Does he not see this as abuse, misuse and flaunting of the constitutional practice? On a parting note, Seberena must ask Khama as to whether he will ever serve Bangwato as their paramount chief or Bangwato will forever be represented by tribal authorities at Ntlo Ya Dikgosi.
All the dikgosi and merafe, i.e., Babirwa, Batswapong, Bakalaka, Bakgalagadi, Basarwa, Bayei, Bangwaketse, Bakwena, Balete, Bangwato etc, must rally and support Bakgatla-ba-Kgafela and their Kgosi Kgolo and other Bakgatla royals and their tribe’s men in their political motivated trial as Log Raditlhokwa pointed out.
Civil Society organizations, Trade Union Movement, Media and Pressure Groups in Botswana, Advocacy groups, Kamanakao, SPIL, First People of the Kalahari, Lentswe La Harena, Churches, Foreign Missions, Regional and International Organizations, opposition political parties, BMD, BCP, BNF, MELS and BDP political prisoners must all equally join hands and rally behind Bakgatla-ba-Kgafela as well as saving the institution of Bogosi from political abuse, manipulation and intimidation.
Foreign Missions, International Donor Institutions and agencies, Multinational Corporations should all join hands together and demand and call for abolition of selective justice in Botswana. They should put pressure on government and the judicial system and state that as a matter of urgency those who ordered the killing of John Kalafatis be summoned before the courts of law and face trial. If that is not done, they may consider closing shop and may decide imposing serious stringent sanctions against Botswana just like it was done in Zimbabwe.
On the even of the trial date, all these varying groups must go and have night vigil at the court and sing peacefully throughout the night and demand for equal justice.
Batswana and other interest groups must however, know that undertaking such a giant step and milestone will not be easy to accomplish.
It will be met with great resistance, hostility, a lot of spying with elements of intimidation from the powers that be.
They must however, be advised to be free spirited and must soldier on and may adopt Daniel Kwelagobe style, ‘Shoot me if you choose to’. After all it is on record that one or more two killings are considered not bad in Botswana.
*Thabo Lucas Seleke is a lecture of public policy in the Department of Political and Administrative studies at the University of Botswana
