The power to appoint Cabinet Ministers is vested in the President. It is his prerogative to reshuffle Cabinet. No doubt, the time for a reshuffle is upon us. Or rather, it is upon the President. It surely has to take an extraordinary, or an abnormal man to have any peace of mind during Presidential times such as now, when Cabinet Ministers must be appointed, with some facing the chop while others itch to be elevated from being Ass’s to full Ministers. Were he to write his memoirs some day, I bet Ian Khama would confess the task of appointing cabinet ministers is more daunting than appending a signature to a death warrant. Just as he enjoys the power to assemble his Cabinet, the President again is the one who approves the killing of murder convicts. Being a former career soldier where killing is their core business, I want to believe death brings no torture to his mind the way it must be when he ponders on the selection of his Cabinet members where he is expected to choose from a posse of apple polishers. And they are in abundance.
Really how do you peacefully and easily appoint Cabinet Ministers who’s total number is only limited to 16 when you have hordes of hopefuls. Bootlicking has become the gateway to Cabinet and with Khama having plenty bootlickers by his side, all waiting to be rewarded, it must be difficult for him to select a few among the many. Presidents the world over, have themselves to blame for the predicament they face when it comes to Cabinet appointments. Whereas cabinet ministers ought to be appointed on the basis, or at least on assumption that they eminently qualify for the job, it has become common especially in our country that such appointments come as emolument for blind loyalty to the president. Bluntly put, it would seem ministerial posts are handed out as payment for sycophancy. My observation is that for you to stand any chance of being appointed to cabinet, you need to assure the president that you are a “yes sir puppet.”
If you display some capabilities of independent thinking or prove to be a rationalist then you may as well forgo any ambitions of ever being handed a ministerial portfolio.
This must be a tough time for Khama. With a Vice President that has become a liability to his administration and ministers who don’t perform, Khama must be finding the going really tough.
Infact I can already spot some signs of stress on the President’s face and I have no doubt in his heart of hearts he rues the day he quit the army for politics. For his age and love for physical fitness, my president appears to be aging too rapidly. Even though I’m not a dermatologist to explain the wrinkles on his face or psychic to predict what bothers my president, I have reason to believe he is a worried man. It is rumoured Khama, just like me, is of the view Mompati Merafhe must pack and head for Mahalapye to join folks and embark on tasks as suggested by Wynter Mmolotsi in the last seating of Parliament. Radio mall says Merafhe has told Khama not to even harbor dreams of his departure from the second highest office in the land. Apparently Merafhe feels that if he has blundered or failed in his duties as vice president, it is simply because he did all he did and said all he said all for Khama and because of Khama and as such the only acceptable deal would be if they both step down or steer on together. Merafhe won’t ski out without SKI. I don’t think Khama will be brave to kick Merafhe out even though I have no doubt he wants to see him out. The two men have worked together from way back in 1977 or so and I want to believe they hold each other’s top secrets in life. They come a long way I bet at some point they have shared deepest secrets. It is these secrets that could make it difficult for Khama to show Merafhe the door against his will. I believe Merafhe has the potential to break Khama should there be some fallout between the two retired army Generals. To me, the thought of replacing Merafhe must the one giving Khama sleepless nights. He has to remove him but he can’t remove him. As for ministerial positions at least many of his bootlickers are used to his unpredictability. He has disappointed many of them in the past and it will be foolish of them not to be ready for another disappointment.
Khama can create some space by sacking some ministers like Molebatsi, who as far as I’m concerned, is not Cabinet material but it will be difficult for Khama to drop a man who prayed for the subtraction of his children’s living years to be added to Khama’s. With so many bootlickers surrounding him, and him being a sucker for such characters, it will be interesting to see who makes it into the team. It is because of the criteria applied to appoint ministers, where allegiance supersedes capability, which makes even hopeless MP’s to be hopeful of making it into Cabinet.
It is during times of tough decision making like these that many a man would find solace in the bottle. Thus I wouldn’t be surprised if it turns out to be true that Khama was at Welcome Bar in Serowe. No man faced with such tough decisions can sleep as early as 9 pm as Khama’s aunt wants us to believe. Surely the old lady can afford to sleep at that time but I doubt the president, with the looming cabinet reshuffle, can afford to snore so early and so peacefully. Talking of the President’s alleged appearance at Welcome Bar, I think the people of Serowe are being unfair to say they were intimidated by his presence. The president is free to patronize bars, though risky to his safety. But hey, the man is no prisoner. Afterall bars do not only sell alcohol. They sell an array of stock that includes soft drinks and condoms. Just as Khama’s aunt told The Voice newspaper that she was not amused at reports that suggested Khama was seen at bars, I’m shocked that the old lady can be the one claiming to know the whereabouts and the bed times of Khama. Surely I don’t think even if Khama indeed did go out at night he would have thought of waking up his aunt to inform her that he was going out. I totally have no problems with Khama rocking up at pubs provided his presence does not disturb other patrons who obviously contribute more to the alcohol levy than Khama who may come and buy a soft drink which is useless to the collection of the much needed alcohol levy.
Back to appointments! The problem with posts that are awarded out of association with the powers that be and not necessarily out of the appointee’s capabilities is, once made it becomes difficult to reprimand, demote or even fire the appointees when they don’t perform to the desired and acceptable levels. Take for example the appointment of Mogomotsi Kaboeamodimo. The guy has failed to run the Department of Information and Broadcasting and just because he has shown his love for the BDP, by reading party press releases on national television, I’m inclined to suspect his recent appointment to a more lucrative job of Deputy Permanent Secretary, is a thank you. The guy, it would seem, is being rewarded for reigning terror on government journalists who displayed professionalism and refused to be BDP puppets like Kaboeamodimo who is unapologetic for advancing the BDP propaganda through public media.
