The media is awash on one hand with news that His Excellency Dr M.E.K. Masisi has invited the Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Hon Dumelang Saleshando to accompany him to the inauguration of Zambia’s President-elect Mr Hakainde Hichilema affectionately referred to as HH. On the other, the same media reports that Saleshando was personally invited by HH to attend the said inauguration. It is also reported that the Leader of Opposition in Zimbabwe Advocate Nelson Chamisa of MDC Alliance has allegedly, like Saleshando, been personally invited by HH for the same and so is Mmusi Maimane, the leader of the newly founded political formation One South Africa Movement. Mmusi is also the past immediate leader of official opposition in South Africa, the Democratic Alliance. It would be noted there is no political love lost between Masisi and Saleshando and between President Mnangagwa and Chamisa. Recent history between these politicians is public knowledge. Both Saleshando and Chamisa have notably taken issue with how the last general elections in their respective countries were ‘rigged’ the result of which Masisi and Mnangagwa in their beliefs, ascended the highest offices. So why would I ask whether President Masisi voluntarily invited Saleshando to HH’s inauguration? Context to my question is important.
The starting point should be that President Masisi attended three inaugurations in the recent to immediate past namely that of Mnangagwa himself, that of the Namibian President Hage Geingob and Her Excellency President Samia Suhulu Hassan, President of Tanzania. In all these inaugurations, President Masisi travelled with his usual and predictable delegation without the Leader of Opposition or someone from the opposition. Saleshando, if my memory serves me well, was not invited to one of the key events of national importance, the official opening of the Kazungula Bridge. What has suddenly changed this time around for the Leader of Opposition to be included in President Masis’s delegation to HH’s inauguration? The very belief that HH personally invited Saleshando makes perfect and compelling sense.
Saleshando has become the very sharp thorn in President Masis’s government in the National Assembly since becoming the Leader of Opposition. It will be recalled that during one of the sessions where there was a debate on the State of Public Emergency, Saleshando made serious allegations against the President’s sister to the effect that she received preferential treatment for a tender in which her company Monteco Solutions (Pty) Ltd was awarded a tender to supply ARVs at a cost of P 13,747,360. Following this allegation and the back-and-forth that subsequently followed between the Speaker of the National Assembly and Saleshando, the latter was suspended by the former from the National Assembly for seven days. Not taking his suspension lightly, Saleshando would approach the High Court to review and set aside his suspension. He had the last laugh as the High Court ruled in his favour. By any measure, this is a significant political statement if I may call it that where the Leader of Opposition accuses a sitting President’s government of not only enabling corruption but even extending it to his immediate family members. The allegation against the President’s sister remains just that until it is confirmed as fact by competent authority. The fact that the allegations against the President’s sister were made when the he was present in the House but could not rise to defend her somewhat should have been embarrassing if not hurtful. It is difficult to imagine if he has forgiven him. Those who claim to know the President very well say he is a vindictive person. After those damaging and embarrassing allegations by Saleshando and the issue of vindictiveness if correct, would the President be willing to share an international stage with Saleshando. Hard to believe if you asked me.
Saleshando and opposition Members of Parliament have upped the ante in the National Assembly by putting the President’s political party, the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) on the back foot by coming up with compelling Motions and Private Members’ Bills amongst others. These will include the counting of ballots during the general election at the voting stations which is not the case at the moment; amending the Electoral Act; meaningfully reforming the Independent Electoral Commission to render it truly independent from the Executive and so on. While the BDP has resolved by its sheer conduct and attitude to reject with contempt all that comes from the opposition however important such could be to the nation, the BDP and by extension the President feel the political heat in the National Assembly. Just this past Friday, Saleshando put the BDP on the spot by asking a question on the acquisition of prime land in the Okavango region by the Office of the President. The theme of the question was: Tourism Development Projects Undertaken By Office of The President. Coincidentally, a similar if not the same question was asked a fortnight ago where it was answered by the Minister of Land Management, Water and Sanitation Services Hon Kefentse Mzwinila who said the land was required by the Office of the President for a government tourism facility. Instead of answering the question as answered by Mzwinila to avoid confusion and backlash, the Minister for Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration Hon Kabo Morwaeng said in part and in his usual exuberance to score political points that ‘The recent detribalization of a portion of Moremi Game Reserve (NG/28) and (NG/21) in the Okavango Delta was facilitated by the Directorate of Intelligence Services for State purposes, more particularly specialised use by VVIPs. Reserving official space for vacation and retreating of VIPPs is an international best practice, and does not fall under the category of private or commercial ventures.’
Given the high tempo and high stakes political game between President Masisi and the Leader of Opposition Hon Saleshando, it is a given politically speaking, that the former could allow the latter space to appear with him at a high profile event such as the inauguration of a President. In the context of such tempo and high stakes political game in so far as the Masisi is concerned, Saleshando’s space to ‘shine’ must be strictly restricted to the bare minimum locally let alone internationally. I am inclined to be persuaded, as I hereby do, that Masisi has not voluntarily invited Saleshando to accompany him to attend HH’s inauguration. While HH wouldn’t publicly say whether he personally invited Saleshando, Chamisa and Maimane or not, nothing I believe stops him from doing behind the scenes.
As if to do damage control to the invitation controversy, Office of the President issued a press release just before the President’s departure wherein it reiterated that ‘His Excellency President Dr Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi, has extended an invitation to the Leader of Opposition to accompany him to the inauguration of the Zambian President-Elect in the spirit of cordial relations that exist among political leadership of Botswana and inclusiveness.’ I am afraid the politics of inclusiveness in Botswana is at best on paper and at worst in practice. The winner takes all attitude I have witnessed in the National Assembly accompanied by sheer arrogance in some if not all instances, is far from persuading me that Botswana’s political discourse embodies politics of inclusiveness. Not by any stretch of the imagination. But that said, I will grudgingly stay with the official position that Saleshando was invited by the President out of his own accord. As always, I am prepared to be persuaded otherwise. Judge for Yourself!
‘No one is safe until everyone is safe.’ It looks like Covid-19 pandemic will be with us more than we may have thought. Let us all observe Covid-19 health protocols without fail. My words of encouragement to all who have been affected or infected by the pandemic. My condolences to all who have succumbed to the virus. My special condolences to former colleagues Mr Gipson Chilisa and Mr Christopher Tsholofelo Phikane. Fare thee well gentlemen. You have run your races.
