The unfolding events at the BMC should shock the conscience of every patriotic citizen and it is times like these when the political leadership, in particular, the State President has to separate himself from the rest of the noisy buffoons who constitute the government and show his ability to rescue a dying state corporation.
In many ways, the crises engulfing the BMC are a micro-version of the state of our republic. They are a reflection of what goes on everywhere, in particular the looting at state enterprises by the shepherds. The BMC story tells us that Botswana has become a roast carcass for the privileged few.
The only difference between the BMC and other state corporations is that the vultures feeding on the BMC have been very impatient and excessively greedy which makes them look more sinful than the rest of the gold diggers.
In 2011 it was the BDC all the way; in 2012 it is the BMC and now the young turks at the BNYC are refusing to miss the gravy train. The failure of the State President to intervene timely is very telling and this is the reason: the entire political leadership lacks integrity and moral authority to restore order because they are part of this cunning but ruthless club of business partners.
They cannot lead by example and cannot give direction when required to do so because they constitute the biggest problem.
Leadership is responsible for everything a country does or fails to do and effective leadership is exhibited through decisiveness and the willingness to take responsibility. The ability to intervene appropriately has a significant role in enhancing and sustaining the state president’s professional reputation.
Backseat leadership constitute irresponsibility and shows lack of ability to turn things around, which means that other than appealing to rural people, President Khama came grossly unprepared for the job and had no clue what the presidency entailed hence his hit and miss leadership style.
President Khama assumed the presidency on the backdrop of unprecedented good will from the public. His popularity has largely remained unchanged. However, he has dismally failed to transform his popularity into effective presidential leadership. From a philosophical perspective, a State President is only effective if the people are willing to be governed by that particular individual. President Khama’s popularity implies that many Botswana citizens are comfortable with him and this should have made his presidential role much easier particularly in allowing him to concentrate on providing efficient national leadership to ensure that Botswana take advantage of its relative peace and tranquility to increase its competitiveness.
Given his public approval, there is no need for him to be investing considerable time and public resources ingratiating himself to the ordinary people. Instead he should use his influence to help our struggling economy.
Unfortunately, President Khama has created personal barriers that often make it difficult for him to take appropriate action on issues of national importance. Under President Khama, cronyism and patronage are celebrated virtues.
While it is sometimes acceptable to appoint those you trust to key positions ÔÇô those you can count on for loyalty ÔÇô it must be noted that cronyism and patronage weakens one’s ability to govern without fear or favor.
Other than the reality that positions are filled by those whose qualification for employment is in their ability to play dumb, cronyism and patronage damage the integrity of government. Corporate norms and values are defiled by friendship and deadly connections. Its beneficiaries reckon they deserve the share of the loot, in hell or heaven, openly brag about it and tell the rest of us who are ‘jealous’ to go to hell. They do not expect anything less than a fortune they didn’t sweat for since their connections to the political higher-ups speak for them.
Since networking operates in cyclic fashion, it means that overtime the club becomes bloated in a manner that create a web of political, economic and social intrigue that has all the hallmarks of a satanic pyramid scheme. What this means is that President Khama is held hostage to the interests of his inner circle and they do not expect him to shout at them or intervene, hence his indecisiveness and or lack of drive to stand firm and exercise his presidential authority to pull the BMC out of the mess in the face of overwhelming evidence that the BMC is being devoured. The mess at the BMC is, therefore, less about what is happening but more about who is doing it ÔÇô the same good old boys performing the ritual before a full blown feast!
The damage has been gathering momentum while President Khama sat on damning information revealing that the BMC was being chopped into pieces for dinner. His decision to intervene by appointing a team to probe the BMC is merely symbolic and an attempt to divert attention from his ineptitude.
The investigation is simply meant to save his image and humanize him to project the image of an accountable president who is concerned when he never was.
The nation is being sold a dummy whose intent is to legitimize the loot by protecting the vultures which is why President Khama has assigned what looks like club members to investigate their mates.
It is like a mock investigation that has all the features of abuse of power by the state.
