This installment reflects on issues that have come to take centre stage in our national discourse. To be honest, it is a culmination of a debate I had with a colleague of mine over the past few weeks. As is the norm, I will not disclose his identity for a variety of reasons. Chiefly, I feel compelled not to say who he is because he is not a Motswana. Anyway, the debate I had with my friend was sound and insightful in many ways. I thought there might be important lessons for our beloved nation so that we can avoid the curse that currently afflicts many other African economies.
In particular, the debates talked to issues of why things have suddenly taken a pear shape in our beloved republic and what need to be done to turn the tide.
My friend came here in the early 1990s from another country south of the Sahara. In that sense, he has almost two decades living here, which makes him one of ‘us’ in a way. He has also stayed in his homeland for an extended period of time. Effectively, he is better placed to offer a comparative analysis of life here and where he comes from.
Before his move down south, he worked in his native land, which was a successful story economically amongst many developing countries, particularly those in the African continent. They had everything. But the good life didn’t last long. Things moved quickly from good to bad. And it took just few years for the situation to deteriorate from bad to worse. And this is where his country
finds itself at the moment; a basket case which relies entirely on international aid and support.
Like anybody with an ambition, he moved out swiftly before things reached rock bottom. He knew that despite various measures by international institutions to help his people there was nothing to be salvaged. They were destined for a bleak future. Who else will want to stay in such a situation? In short, he is here as an economic refugee ÔÇô unfortunately, failed by those in charge of their respective economies. Anyway, plan was not to stay much longer.
However, on his arrival on our shores, he was immediately hooked! He knew he found a second home. Things were completely different from where he came from. He could tell that this country was destined for greater things. We had a people who were good in many ways. Not only did we have people with great hearts, we had institutions in place that regulated the way we conducted our national affairs. What a surprise to him. There was a sense of functionality about this place. As an illustration, he told me how it took him a long time to actually notice that our country was indeed a desert. The lack of water falling from the sky was not readily visible because water kept flowing. Everywhere he went he could draw clean water from stand pipes. Actually, he couldn’t remember having a dry tap in his house at any point in time. The same applied to electricity. It was available throughout the year with very minimal interruptions, if they were any. He also told me how we were free as people. We could mingle with those in charge of the republic with much ease. Corruption was unheard of. We were just unique in many ways. Indeed, what a cultural shock for my brother? At the end, he thought he made the right decision moving here.
Fast forward to where we are today. He tells me with tears in his eyes that he thinks the time has arrived for him to say the goodbyes. Honestly, who would want to leave a country he has known for more than two decades? To him the promise that this nation demonstrated in the early 1990s and 2000s is history. Sadly, we are a ‘has been’ among model economies in our continent. He talked about how the lure of the pula isn’t there anymore. I tried in vain to deny his assessment. As a patriotic individual I have never wanted to hear anything bad mentioned about my country, particularly by someone from outside. I found it insulting. Strangely I found myself helpless.
But this time around I could not help but allow him the chance to tell it to my face. In short, he was saying that things are going pear shaped for my country. We have finally caught the ‘African Bug’. We talked in depth about the BMC saga, the failure by the BPC, the WUC mess and the BDC shenanigans. The list was exhaustive particularly for our parastatals. Sadly, the rot was not only confined to state-owned companies. Even private businesses are reportedly involved in dirty deeds by the media. Corruption, mismanagement, lack of accountability and many other bad governance indicators are on the rise. I could sense a pattern developing ÔÇô one that always precedes a disaster. But I kept hoping those things were not happening here! Yes, it is called denial stage. Nevertheless, unless someone does something very soon, we will find ourselves knee deep in the mud.
The natural thing for me was not to think about jumping ship and head for the West. I am not one to give up. And I know Batswana are not quitters. I kept reminding myself that Botswana was the only place I could call home. I was never going to leave this place no matter what. It is at this point that I started asking my friend what he thought might better explain the rot we currently face. I was not only interested in knowing what have come to explain the predicament we find ourselves in, I also wanted to know what the future had in store for us. He did not mince his words. We are at the crossroads. And the sooner we address the core issues that undermine effectiveness of our organizations, both private and public, the better for us. I felt he did not answer my questions. I wanted to know what exactly explained the mess we face. And where do we go from here?
He was blunt in his response. We need a change in direction. More than anything else, we need a new kind of leadership. The kind of leadership that can take hard decisions based on what is best for the country; instead, of what is best for a few select individuals. A leadership that seeks accountability and transparency in whatever they do. Not a leadership that likes finer things in life, but one that places more value on other consideration rather than profits only. Otherwise we are doomed as a people!
