Ian Khama � Judge for yourself (Part 3)

Dr Ian Khama is heir to the throne of the Bangwato tribe. Though his father Sir Seretse Khama had renounced bogosi (chieftainship) after his marriage to the English lady, Bangwato recognised him as heir to Ngwato throne.

In 1975 the young Brigadier and BDF Deputy Commander, was crowned as kgosi. His father, as President of independent Botswana pleaded with the tribe to loan their new kgosi to national service in the BDF, as the country faced mounting aggression from Ian Smith, the Rhodesian ‘Unilateral Independence’ Premier.

In terms of precedent, Ian Khama didn’t qualify to enter politics while kgosi. His father had denied Bathoen II of Bangwaketse the right to represent opposition BNF in Parliament unless and until he had  abdicated bogosi. Mogae and Khama deliberately connived  to flout precedence (the law). President Khama’s tendency to bend, manipulate and even break the law when it suits him can be attributed to that initial connivance. Botswana veered off course from trendy single-party democracy to multiparty democracy at Independence. She however took time to extend democracy to  trade unions. Trade unions were recognised more than 40 years post-Independence, shortly before Khama’s Presidency! Three years into Khama’s administration in 2011, BOFEPUSU, workers’ federation for public sector employees, flexed its muscles, taking to the streets demanding  15 % salary rise. Instead of Khama’s administration negotiating with BOFEPUSU, President Khama chose to take workers’ dispute to dikgotla, where he addressed traditional rustics saying there was no money; moreover he belonged to a different union-of-the-unemployed! To underline his objective, he instructed his Minister of Labour to amend the Public Service Act, such that the bulk of public services became ‘essential services,’ thereby virtually paralysing workers’ strike option in the public service! The Public Service Bargaining Council (PSBC), created as a negotiation forum between Government and unions, was rendered dysfunctional by President Khama who has usurped PSBC functions to have salary adjustment determined by his high Office alone. For two consecutive years, three percent in 2015 and four percent in 2016, salary adjustments came from the OP! The President seems to be unconcerned with the anarchy he is creating; already frustrated, BOFEPUSU has withdrawn from the PSBC! Khama’s unemployment/poverty eradication programmes are entrenching a ‘dependency syndrome’ in the population. Chinese say, “Don’t give a man fish, teach him to catch fish!’ Contrary to this wisdom, Khama has, to all intents and purposes, converted his Executive Office, into a Charity Office. When he was new into politics, he did opine that ‘politics was a dirty game;’ he also made known his personal life preferences: the army, nature/wildlife and passion for acts of charity! Comment from some observers was that he inherited the latter from his mother, who ran a charity organisation.

Editor's Comment
Congratulations Anicia Gaothuse!

The contest had 10 beautiful young girls as finalists and unfortunately only one could wear the crown.The judges picked Anicia Gaothuse. To all those who feel their contestant should have won ahead of Anicia for whatever reason, hardly; the judges found Anicia to be the best among the best, so desist from disrespecting our newly crowned queen on social media or anywhere else, for that matter! Each of the 10 beautiful young women had supporters...

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