By the time former President Dr Khama vacated the State House, many people were really fed up with his leadership style so much that we never really cared much about the personality of his chosen successor.
We just wanted him gone after 10 spine chilling and wasted years, which is why when it seemed that Dr Khama wanted to use the dead hand tactic to run the affairs of the state, many Batswana were outraged and sternly expressed their unwavering support for the new president so that he is given the necessary space to govern.
Anyone who dared express views that were not consistent with the immediate project of endorsing Masisi’s presidency was swiftly and fiercely rebuked like a worshipper of Satan.
Besides our desperation, that was the right thing to protect our democratic credentials. To a larger extent, Dr Masisi came in as an authentic symbol of desired change after 10 difficult years when what was classified as an overconfident character used cruelty and fear to control the nation.
President Dr Masisi was also considered a credible symbol of change for ushering in a new era where any citizen could become a state president irrespective of their ethnicity.
However, that project of endorsing Dr Masisi’s presidency mainly out of sheer desperation has come at a huge cost, not less because in doing so, we did not invest equal amount of efforts to remind President Dr Masisi that running a government required focus, effort and most importantly, appropriate public image.
We did not invest efforts to counsel President Dr Masisi that ducking and playing the Rambo of regional politics was likely to be more damaging to his image and cause him to lose credibility and relatability with his people.
Essentially, the biggest mistake we, as did his closest advisors, was to not invest efforts in educating him that a president’s image is everything and matters hundred times more than reality.
This is the biggest mistake we will live to regret for years to come because the president went on to take up a cheeky public image that projects him as incorrigibly dishonest, dispiriting pathological liar and massive liability.
The President is showcased as a careless, unbothered, and pitiless citizen who battled to ascend to the highest office to solely placate his appetite for personal and family wealth.
An incoming state president is expected to take on an appropriate character and that character is to a larger extent shaped by those who publicly comment about him/her more than is shaped by those who surround because they are essentially cronies in his crowded passenger boat full of pretenders.
It is a hard fact that a leader’s perceived character (public image) plays a fundamental role in the overall success or failure of his government and his lasting reputation.
Since the president is the face of his government, his dishonesty whether perceived or real, is extended to the entire government system such that pronouncements by government officials are not trusted at all whereas the officials themselves have become objects of scorn.
In our case, there are widespread concerns that President Dr Masisi is detached from the realities of the ordinary Motswana’s life and has the lowest level of empathy with them. Admittedly, this has more to do with the President’s public image than actual events.
The implication is that image is basically everything, which is why politicians generally and presidents in particular invest heavily in image making, some appointing personal photographers, social media experts, relationship experts, faith healers and so forth.
They do this in order that they can exert better control over their image because they understand that image is everything for public figures.
A president’s image shapes public perception about his worth and continues to do so many years after they vacated office.
Former President Dr Khama may have been portrayed by his critics as a damned dictator, a soulless despot but Dr Khama created a public image of a very relatable, lovable and people-centered state president – an image that allowed him to become very popular with the villagers and that popularity is yet to wane 2 years after leaving the state house and the national economy on its knees.
Essentially, former president Dr Khama did a lot of image manipulation to craft a public image that resonated with the voters – the people who matter the most as voting fodder in a democracy.
By not investing in crafting and consolidating an appropriate public image after assuming the reigns, President Dr Masisi has allowed his opponents to paint a negative public image of him as a dishonest, desperate, scatterbrained and sloppy president who is clearly failing to direct firm and inspiring response to the challenges enveloping this nation.
And his priorities cannot save him from accusations of dereliction of duty essentially because he is not doing much to re-invent himself and his presidency though he wants to be respected not only as the first citizen but also as a smart and tough guy.
However, it is not yet too late for President Dr Masisi to reconstruct his public image, though he will need to do more than just present a suited image of presidential leadership. This is because a lot of damage has been done to this point in time.
Image creation is a serious business in politics as in the corporate world but image re-invention is even more an expensive undertaking.
Since image creation has implication for the success of the state president, if President Dr Masisi want to succeed as a leader of the nation rather than as a stealthily dishonest mob boss, he must necessarily and urgently engage consultants, analysts, and stylists to re-create an image that would hopefully help him find his way into the hearts of the people who trusted, supported and believed in him.
For if he does not do so, he may just focus on amassing riches and that would become apparent that he always wanted the presidency to line his own pockets.
A president who is projected as a speak-loudly-do-nothing journey boy is set up for failure not matter how much he tries essentially because we have an image of him as a derelict par excellence.
President Dr Masisi ought to re-make an image that could at least convince the public that he is a better deal than the former who we accused for reversing the gains recorded since independence or that while he may not satisfy the public’s overwhelming expectations, at least he does provide something like presidential leadership.
A public image is actually a person’s character that is beamed to the public especially by those who are vocal and influential in their different ways, which is why President Dr Masisi needs a team of consultants to reconstruct his image by controlling the message about him, his appearance and body language.
He needs experts to coach him in assuming a confident and focused personality that is inspiring and respectful. Many citizens have expressed shock at the extent of disrespect shown towards the first citizen and we need not look further than his public image – that he is insincere, hollow and fraudulent to deserve any respect whatsoever.
President Dr Masisi needs to urgently remodel his public image so that he takes up the character of a competent, honest and considerate family man who understands the plight of families and villagers.
It is acknowledged that a lot of damage has been done but that not all is lost. The president just needs the right people around him (stylists, analysts, strategists, photographers, digital media specialists, feminists, etc).
The number of times the Office of the President has to clarify and/or rephrase His Excellency’s public statements paints the image of a hopelessly clumsy principal and these are the small gaffes that most degrade a leader’s reputation and ultimately impact negatively on the political and social life of the nation, with far-reaching consequences.
His innocent remark that he was undertaking a state visit to Namibia to among other things, meet his friend was easily taken out of context because the president is readily known to be reckless, playful and extravagant.
A loathsome public image offered limitless opportunities for conspiracy theorists to blown out of proportions the otherwise peripheral statement and present it as evidence of an imprudent superintendent who can chest-thump about his misuse of public monies for personal errands.
Pictures of President Dr Masisi having a really good laugh when most of us can only manage a wary smile in our attempt to mask our misery, could be misconstrued as though the president was laughing at his miserable people and doesn’t give a bloody hoot about their plight.
Pictures, words and body language have implications for public image and can be used to manufacture a capable and pleasant personality only if managed and controlled by the right people not those who are rewarded for never doing much of anything but excel at scheming and fraudulent manipulation of life.
