Khama shifts reputational damage blame to Masisi
Mompati Tlhankane | Tuesday May 24, 2022 06:24
Buck-passing or passing the buck is defined as the practice of blaming someone and avoiding responsibility.
Responding through the SKI Khama Foundation, chief executive officer, Mogomotsi Kaboeamodimo said so many ills that happened under President Mokgweetsi Masisi’s governance are what has hurt the country’s international image and reputation, not Khama.
Kaboeamodimo was quick to indicate that blaming and bad mouthing former Khama for speaking out will not help the argument from the government.
Last week, Foreign Affair’s permanent secretary, Gladys Mokhawa told the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) that utterances made by Khama in the media have tarnished the image of the country and put it in bad light. She expressed that the skirmishes between Masisi and Khama do not necessarily cause reputational damage.
Mokhawa gave an example of an incident where Khama blatantly told South African media that Botswana is a shadow of its former self and has turned into a ‘banana republic’ under his successor.
“Deliberate official dishonesty including abusing privileged appearance before the PAC to discredit Khama as tacitly instructed by the President, and to falsely portray Khama as the one refusing to engage is neither going to repair the reputational damage done to Botswana by Masisi’s government nor do the President and this country any good,” Kaboeamodimo said in response to the comments made by Mokhawa at the PAC.
He further revealed that Khama did not just make those comments but in recent months and weeks the former president received requests for interviews from several foreign and local media, which he granted.
He added that Khama granted the media interviews based on the latter’s research and impressions of the environment in Botswana concerning politics, justice, the rule of law, human rights, civil liberties, and Khama’s differences with President Masisi.
Even though Foreign Affairs has blatantly blamed Khama for tarnishing Botswana’s image, Kaboeamodimo instead said the blame should all be put on Masisi because the country was under his leadership when it dropped on the list of least corrupt countries in the world.
He said Khama is not the President of Botswana now, and therefore not the one accountable for the country’s international rankings.
“It was under Masisi in 2020 that the European Union blacklisted Botswana for lax control against terrorism-financing and money laundering. Worldwide media reported this reputational damage which they noted complicates financial relations with the European Union,” he added.
Kaboeamodimo also emphasised that if Masisi is so concerned about the international image of the country he would start with a demonstration of humility and decorum in his public utterances, not arrogance and a pompous attitude.
“Masisi is on record disrespecting and verbally abusing ordinary citizens of the country including senior citizens and public officers in kgotla meetings. He must remember that what he says has a bearing on public policy and the character of our nation,” Kaboeamodimo said.