One Match Stick Can Torch A Nation

The Monitor Editor | Tuesday November 2, 2021 06:00

It is a feud that refuses to die, and unfortunately a whole nation remains transfixed on this saga. Only last week, reports emerged, the state apparatus were ready to pounce and arrest Khama. Under normal circumstances an arrest is carried out without any drama. The accused is handcuffed, taken to police cells and appears in court.

But the nation is facing not just an ordinary arrest if indeed it is in the offing. It is an arrest of power, an arrest of an influential figure, and above all, the arrest of a person deemed to be above reproach among his kith and kin and even beyond. Khama is not ordinary, Masisi is not ordinary. These are powerful and influential men who dictate public discourse. Therefore, an event around the President or a former leader cannot be ordinary. The nation has witnessed the merry-go-round for more than three years now since the infamous hand-over. The situation has been so volatile that it has shifted and affected public discussions and to an extent, the everyday life. It is not a healthy situation for a country known as a bastion of democracy and shining beacon for peace and stability.

Typically, when two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers. At play, are enormous egos, where as, a discussion over coffee could probably have resolved matters. President Masisi appears steadfast in his position against Khama, whom he feels has made his presidency difficult. On the other hand, Khama feels betrayed and some citizens have become collateral damage of this unbeneficial fight. It’s a fight that is presently dictating policy direction to a certain degree. But is it a necessary fight? It has even taken the ugly tribal turn, with Bangwato calling a meeting over the weekend to express their displeasure over Masisi’s treatment of Khama. In turn, Masisi will go to ‘enemy territory’ tomorrow to address a kgotla meeting in a bid to shore up support for his government and party in a region that stood by Khama during the last election.

The tragedy of this is that, President Masisi is forced to take a detour from his usual schedule to attend to issues that could have been avoided. Dialogue is key as some nations learnt the harsh lessons of petty fights, which escalated to full blow civil wars. Some nations tried to close the stable long after the horses had bolted. It is not too late for Botswana and in particular, for Masisi and Khama to abandon a potentially perilous path. The danger is that one match stick is enough to set a whole forest alight.