Speaking at a press conference in Gaborone yesterday, Masire said that he wanted to correct an impression made by the Botswana Congress Party (BCP) that he should quit partisan politics. “The BCP seems to think that when I retired as President of Botswana I ceased to be a member of the BDP.”
He added that the impression the opposition has that when the government passed a law granting him certain retirement benefits, he was being bought to keep out of politics is wrong. He explained that the retirement benefits were arranged in recognition of his service to the country as president, vice-president, minister, MP since the Legislative Council (Legco) in 1961, unpaid councillor for five years and an unpaid member of a school committee for the same number of years. “I did not make any arrangements for a retirement package for myself, nor did I suggest it in any way to anybody. I was, therefore, grateful when such arrangements were made for me,” Masire said.
He said he “could not see then, nor can I see now, why having voluntarily left office, I could have had a package made to keep me out of politics”.
“I remain a card carrying member of the party, and will attend party conferences when I deem it necessary,” he said.
He clarified that he has indeed spoken at some BDP meetings. For instance, he was one of the speakers at the 40th Anniversary Celebrations of the BDP, and would have spoken at the launch of the 2004 manifesto, but he was out of the country.
He said he could have played a more significant role in the party if he had no confidence in the calibre of the people he was leaving behind. He said there was a long list of people who had retired as presidents or prime ministers of their countries but remained presidents of their political parties.
“Indeed, our party members who have retired from cabinet or parliament have always remained staunch members of the party,” he said.
Masire says he has dedicated his retirement, partly to becoming “a roving ambassador of Botswana involved in a number of humanitarian and development issues that include the promotion of good governance, conflict resolution, prevention and management, as well as promotion of investment to the region. He said he also remains an active member of associated organisations such as Global Coalition for Africa, Inter Action Council, African Leadership Council, Global Leadership Foundation, International Water Council, as well as being involved in the investigation of the 1994 Rwanda genocide, Inter-Congolese Dialogue, UN High Commission for Human Rights, and the Goodwill Mission to Sierra Leone.
He also said that people still call upon him to discuss their problems and offer advice and his engagements already cover the better part of 2005.
“Even when I lived in Kanye, I commuted to Gaborone every working day when I was in the country.”
He dismissed the BCP threat to repeal the Act that provides for the payment of pensions and other retirement benefits in respect of the president of the country if the BCP takes over. “It would be a capricious act,” adding, “that it is due to such impulsive actions that they cannot win the elections”. He also explained that if they carried this out it would neither be legal nor conventional.
