Wednesday, November 6, 2024

President Khama earns peanuts?

This article is a reaction to an article that appeared in the Botswana Guardian newspaper of 10th August 2012 by Ntibinyane Ntibinyane.

Ntibinyane’s presents an impassioned argument for the country’s executive to have their salaries and allowances hiked by 3%. The reporter goes on to argue that even the 3% hike is peanuts taking into consideration what others in their position earn in the Southern African Development Community (SADC). Honestly, there might be a modicum of truth in this. But I want to believe that such truth is only tenable when we give this thorny issue a cursory glance or just interrogate it superficially.

Why do I say this? First, Ntibinyane cannot argue for such increase because like everyone else in the media cautioned the country against the dangers of an increased wage bill back in 2011 when trade unions called for government to adjust civil servants’ salaries in accordance with rising inflation. Now, isn’t it hypocritical for the same people – the executive and the legislature to argue for an increase in their salaries and allowances even though they have steadfastly argued against any increase in salaries of the very people who are the creators of wealth of this country?

This cry for increasing the executive and legislature’s salaries and allowances comes on the heels of the same executive pressurizing the Director Public Service against negotiating with trade unions for civil servants’ salaries adjustment. Their argument being that the country hasn’t recovered from the debilitating effects of the global recession and that it’s facing an eminent double dip recession, so great caution should be exercised to avoid unnecessary over expenditure. Where is this caution now? Or should we go by honourable Raletobana’s cry for Members of Parliament to do everything in their power to enrich themselves when they still can?

It’s beginning to dawn on me why the President at some point branded all of them vultures. Always eager for the spoils, tearing at the country’s economy until it is bone bare. I couldn’t have put it better myself.

Second, the argument Ntibinyane presents about the country’s President and his executive earning peanuts is a good one in that it creates an atmosphere for justifying the selfish acts of this government. But has Ntibinyane and others with like minds compared the GDP of this country with those of the countries he cites? Has he even considered that Botswana’s economy is government led thanks to the ingenuity of these talented and skilled politicians?

Let us be brutally sincere here. What does the current President do with his “meagre” salary? Probably invest it wholesome in all the pies he has a finger in? By the way is it not conflict of interest for a sitting President to have investments in every imaginable area of the economy he runs? Just a thought!

On the other hand, comrade Ntibinyane compares Botswana’s President’s salary to that of the South African President. The SA President has scores of wives and children. Surely this calls for a higher salary! It is not kid’s play running a family, let alone several families. In addition, has comrade Ntibinyane considered the total population and economy of South Africa as he compares salaries of the two Presidents?

Third, I want to believe comrade Ntibinyane as a journalist of repute watches Botswana’s talented and skilled politicians’ debates and representation of ordinary Batswana in parliament? Let us for a while compare the depth, earnestness, and informed debates of these talented and skilled representatives with their counterparts in South Africa. I want to believe comrade Ntibinyane watches an SABC television programme, “A View from the House”? This is a live broadcast on the South African parliament debates.

I must admit it has opened my eyes to the ramifications of a robust parliamentary democracy. After comparing the two can we still honestly argue for an increase in our politicians’ salaries on the argument that the private sector is tripping over itself to get these talented and skilled civil servants? What private sector would we be talking about anyway when it is the same people we are rallying for who have kept the private sector an impotent shadow of what it could be? Need I remind the informed comrade about the Freedom of Information Act and who is blocking its passing?

Forth, our politicians do not represent the interests and welfare of ordinary Batswana. So why should the same people they misrepresent and mislead reward them for the poor services? Not so long ago Tonota was stuck with a bus and taxi rank it couldn’t use because a greedy legislator had held Bakhurutshe ransom. There has been an international human rights crisis of gargantuan proportions meted out against the First People of the Kgalagadi. This gross violation of human rights was due to selfish personal interests engineered by the executive to get rich at the expense of disadvantaged Batswana.

Fifth, compared to the President of South Africa who has put in place a very clear and targeted housing policy for the disadvantaged what responsive and dignified housing initiative has our President put in place? Please don’t tell me about the pitiful, uncoordinated structures rich people put up for the President’s favour. That is just political mileage. So as the wealth creators of this nation what are we supposed to be excited about that would lead us to rewarding our politicians so handsomely?

In a democratic market economy people are rewarded handsomely because they are productive and they meet the production targets of the institutions they work for. Not because they hold the institutions at ransom. Can you really, comrade, after taking into account the construction fiasco in places such as: Shakawe Senior School, Molepolole Community Library, Botswana National Sports Stadium in Gaborone, Lobatse stadium, BMC crisis and many many more still argue that our legislators deserve a salary increase, especially on the backdrop a recession?

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