Never have we had leaders, of the ruling party taking on each other, in public, as we have today. It makes for good read, in turn a jump in sales, listenership and viewership. If we are to check the latest readership figures from the Audited Bureau of Circulation, we may find that many of our struggling publications are doing good.
But the more one follows these reports, of the battle of control of the party, and by extension the government, one struggles to understand the beef. What is really the issue at hand? Is it Khama’s need and desperation to remain relevant after 10 years, rather 20 years, at the helm of the BDP and the government? Is it as it has been suggested, the former’s intention to control his successor, rule from the grave as he once accused his predecessor, Festus Mogae of? Is it because Masisi’s fight against corruption is making the former nervous and threatened? And why would Khama be in panic? What about Masisi himself? Is he trying so hard to be his own man that he is prepared to undo even the good the former has done? Is he, on realising that most Batswana felt hard done by the Ian Khama regime, playing to the gallery? Is Masisi abusing power, so intent on his mission, that he is using the state security organs to expose and finish off his nemesis, Khama and his links? Or the incumbent is serious about fighting corruption that he is even prepared to sacrifice the BDP, thus his power? These questions and many more, can and should be answered. And it is the media, who should be providing answers. For now unfortunately I must say, we are failing the public. All we are doing to running between the two centres of power, hunting for sound bites and feeding the public frenzy. Just as much as major figures in this drama are using the media, journalists are also in turn, playing Khama and Masisi against each other. Even the political analysts are still to provide the real unfiltered and unbiased analysis of what real is at stake. In the meantime, the client, the public is less the wiser.
