The most recited prayer in the holy book is the Lord’s Prayer found in the book of Matthew 6: 9-13. The second most recited portion of the Bible is found in Psalm 23, the famous poetry piece by King David. At least this has been very true for those in the generation of former president Khama and President Masisi.
Over the weekend, President Masisi otherwise known as Masisi to General Khama made utterances at a political rally in Shoshong; the man said he is looking forward to a time when him and his predecessor could be reconciled and shake hands as a sign of smoking the peace pipe.
In president Masisi’s own words, he is quoted as saying; “I pray to God for us to meet at some point in time to ask for each other’s forgiveness.” (Botswana Gazette, Wednesday 01 February, 2023). This was said in the spirit of the Lord’s Prayer, something that both men probably recited at school if they ever came through the public school system.
General Khama responded very quickly and suggested that he would be sending in his special envoy, the self-exiled Tshekedi Khama, one of the Khama twins. The quick response and suggestion to send in Tshekedi Khama is problematic to begin with. What the two are simply doing is for Hon Khama to come over to Botswana so that he can attend the current parliamentary session in order to avoid a by-election in his Serowe North constituency. As things remain, the by-election will soon be looming in that part of the country because of the prolonged absence without leave of the elected MP.
But while we were celebrating and looking forward to seeing the charismatic TK, the man got a shock of his life and I don’t think he will make the intended move any time soon. France Museveni terrified him by asking him to come home fast and answer to a litany of crimes and misdemeanours. Museveni mentions TK’s involvement in a number of things including the disappeared helicopter and some weapons from the ministry he superintended while his brother was still the president.
Of course many of us believed that General Khama had indeed convinced his younger brother to return home in line with a Setswana idiom that goes; “Se botlhoko se lekwa ka ngwana.” This translated means, unpalatable things are tested on children. Gen Khama would never attempt to come here himself even with assurances from the president himself.
Masisi has grown up in the same environment with Khama and he must have a better understanding of the man far more than many in government. Their fathers belonged to the same cabinet and they lived in the same neighbourhood. Masisi must know what he is up to in this journey of reconciliation if the project ever takes off.
When addressing the rally, Masisi was making reference to a two way process when he talked about reconciliation. It is unfortunate that for us who have worked with Gen Khama in the military, we know him as a man who does not have the word “forgiveness” in his vocabulary. There is absolutely no record of him forgiving anyone while at Botswana Police, Botswana Defence Force, as VP and as State President.
Khama’s lack of forgiveness may be as a result of missing out on public school education where they emphasised on the Lord’s Prayer. In verse 12 it says; And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those that trespass against us. Forgiveness is a huge undertaking in this instance. Before you ask for forgiveness, you have to undertake forging the other party. This will be a toll figure for Gen Khama, a man who has no record of forgiving anyone in his more than 40 years of service in government.
Without delving much into his past record of unforgiveness, honestly speaking, Khama still does not think he did anything wrong in this country. In the envisaged meeting, Khama will be looking forward to a situation where Masisi comes cap in hand and asking for forgiveness. Then the offended would expect the offender to restore the following; restore him to flying BDF aircraft at will, give him the number of maid servants he may require, beef up his security detail and a litany of other requirements.
I have listened to Moyo Guma’s views on this reconciliation issue and for most part he sounds level headed on his expectation of the entire process. But Moyo Guma sounds a bit delusional when he says he expects Khama to go back to the kgotla in Serowe and preside over his tribe. That will never happen and I have always mentioned that Sekgoma II was the last King of Gammangwato.
Gen Khama would never preside over his tribe at the kgotla because that will diminish his powers. He will have to submit under the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development. In this case he would have to submit to Kgotla Autlwetse whom he has pronounced as his subject in the past.
But Moyo Guma critically points out that Khama must completely retire from active politics. Indeed this will be the remedy if the reconciliation process succeeds. For as long as Khama remains active in politics, this country’s peace will remain at stake. He may be a spent force politically but he remains a potential trouble maker with his dedicated cabal of Serowe zealots.
And what does all this mean in regard to the charges he is facing? It is in the interest of this country if we get the charges dropped and this will not be a travesty of justice. There is certainly more at stake here than getting the man convicted and sent to prison. Khama still commands some sort of cultic magnetism and charm for his zealots in Serowe and a good number of them have been in the military. They still strongly believe that the charges are trumped up and these zealots have potential to cause some insurrection even though it will not last. But by the time the insurgency is brought under control, lives would be lost at that moment in time.
