I am not superstitious. I do not buy into premonitions but quite often I get to think Khama’s ascendancy to the presidency on a day dedicated to fools (he was sworn in on the 1st of April) has something to do with the foolishness that’s reigning supreme in his presidency. Please dear reader, excuse my use of the word foolish in my comments on the highest office in the land. I harbor no disrespect. You see, I didn’t invent the word foolish, therefore just blame it on the Queen and her language and indeed on people who choose to be foolish, in the end forcing us to use this word.
I have been closely monitoring Khama’s presidency ever since he took over from Rre Mogae (how I miss him) and I have come to a conclusion Khama takes Batswana for fools. He makes decisions with conviction that Batswana are too foolish to read deep into his actions. Khama’s presidency has rendered even brilliant minds in the country foolish. When they are not busy making us look foolish, they reveal the foolishness in themselves. But like they would say, Khama and his associates cannot fool everyone everytime. Some of us are way too brainy for his tactics and antics. Khama’s presidency is heavily pregnant with arrogance and deceit.
Firstly I was never convinced of the need to establish the Directorate of Intelligence Services (DIS). Reasons advanced for the formation of this organ have always left me with incessant yawns. I just couldn’t get the justification. The reasons were hollow if not shallow. In DIS I saw an organ whose main purpose was to serve Khama’s and not national interests. The pushers have always wanted to fool us into believing the DIS was needed to take care of national security but what we are now witnessing puts truth to my suspicions that the DIS’s core duties are to spy for Khama and stabilize his paranoia. Botswana has never had any national security threat to warrant the formation of DIS. The truth is, Khama, being a political novice, became jittery on occupation of political office. He has always maintained that he is not a politician and that politics is a dirty game. You then wonder why he accepted the offer.
Even though Khama never misses an opportunity to label other people power mongers, it was because of his hunger for power that he couldn’t resist or reject an offer to occupy the most powerful office in the land, a political appointment for that matter, yet he wants us to believe politics nauseates him. When he says he doesn’t like politics yet he likes being president, it goes on to show how the man likes power. He wants to be in power but he hates politics because politics make room for scrutiny into his powers. In Khama we have someone who enjoys power so much he doesn’t want to be disturbed in his indulgence.
Because he was hungry to be the most powerful citizen in the country, Khama went for the presidency despite his disdain for politics. Khama knew very well that he could never match his political opponents and as such he pushed for the formation of DIS to do the ‘dirty’ work for him. Reports that DIS was hastily established even though it was never allocated funds in the national budget, just so as to have it operational on April Fools’ Day goes to show Khama’s desperation to have DIS cover for his political ineptitude. What is even more worrying is to learn that this disastrous organ was setup with money from the National Disaster Relief Fund. It is deceitful for people who are entrusted with public funds to divert funds from the intended use to their personal gratification. It would appear as the BDP was negotiating with Khama to have him as their supreme leader, he on the other side was caucusing with Isaac Kgosi to come up with something that would ensure they are not separated by ascendancy to the presidency. With the formation of DIS and Kgosi heading it, their working relation has become closer as Kgosi still reports directly to Khama – everyday.
Minister Phandu Skelemani has always been one of the fiercest defenders of DIS. Thanks to our hard working private media we now know why the man has been defending this disastrous organization. Media reports now inform us Skelemani is the one who authorized for the diversion of funds allocated to the National Disaster Relief Fund to establish DIS. Because they know Batswana are not an inquisitive nation, Skelemani can just, according to media reports, approve a budget prepared by Isaac Kgosi before he could even become an accounting officer. The sad part is, the nation never knows the expenditures of the DIS. Whenever questions arise on the expenditure of DIS Minister Ramadeluka would say “in the interest of national security I cannot disclose”. What this therefore means is, DIS agents can even spend taxpayers’ money on personal groceries, beer and prostitutes and the nation will never know about it as all their operations are shrouded in secrecy.
The DIS is not the only disaster in Khama’s presidency. Khama is also a disaster to his presidency. Khama goes around addressing political rallies where he discredits people who have left the BDP.
Khama always speaks of how he ordered one of his former assistant ministers to step down from cabinet as he was being investigated by law enforcement officers. Surprisingly, Khama never tells people that charges against the former assistant minister have been dropped. Khama never explains why he still has his cousin as minister while he is under investigations by the corruption busting unit, DCEC. Khama allows his Foreign Affairs minister to provoke neighboring countries with his unrefined statements carrying connotations of xenophobia and belittlement. It would seem Khama and his lieutenants think Botswana will never need Zimbabwe. It is irresponsible for a whole foreign affairs minister to make public statements that rub our neighbors the wrong way. Fine, I have problems with Mugabe’s leadership and I can write all the rubbish I want about him but the same cannot be expected from a Cabinet minister or State president. I was also shocked to hear of comments made by Khama and Skelemani at a political rally they addressed recently at Tsamaya. I couldn’t fathom just how two men who are fluent in Setswana can go all out to attack and make issue out of Guma Moyo’s tribal origins. I am still to understand what makes them believe they are more Tswana than Moyo. I always say Khama should get someone to coach him on public speeches. As president, Khama ought to know by now that his every word is taken seriously. I have said it before, Khama should avoid, for lack of proper word, foolish jokes than can divide this beautiful nation. It was Khama who said Botswana is the only country we have but some of us begin to question the authenticity of his statement as he now seems destined to ruin the only country some of us have. When Khama and his people start to talk about Moyo’s Zimbabwean roots some of us get reminded of Khama’s British roots.
I know the formation of BMD has caused Khama a lot of stress but he should take it like a man. I am human and I have had and continue to have my share of stress. I know being stressful can make anyone make foolish decisions. It will be disastrous if the president’s stress can go that far. We cannot afford it. Finally, like I always do, I here do offer my unsolicited advice to my president. I know his advisors will never tell him but out here we look at Khama as the chief campaigner for the BMD. The more he tries to discredit the BMD the more he gives credence to its existence. It’s funny how the BMD has taken control of Khama’s itinerary. If you want to know where Khama will be next week, just ask where the BMD will be this week. The man is running helter skelter after the BMD, trying to extinguish the inferno of defections.awo Shem!