Opposition accuse BoB of political mischief

EPHRAIM KEORENG
Staff Writer | Wednesday August 5, 2009 00:00

Botswana Congress Party (BCP) spokesperson, Dumelang Saleshando said that the Central Bank is being overly presumptuous when it announced last week that Khama's portrait will replace that of his predecessor, Festus Mogae in the country's currency.

'They assume that he will win in the next two months. Why didn't they wait until the results of the elections are announced? I don't think the nation will be prejudiced if Mogae stays on the note until the elections. There are cost implications and we don't understand why they can't wait until the end of October. It is like they are saying as Bank of Botswana that they know the results of the elections,' Saleshando said.

Former Botswana National Front (BNF) executive secretary, Kagiso Ntime said that the bank made a serious political blunder by the move to put Khama's portrait on the currency just before general elections. He accused the bank of threatening democracy because it is telling Batswana that it is clear that the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) will win the polls.

'This can influence people to vote the BDP as they are being given the impression that it is a given that the president who had just been put on the note and his party will win,' he said.

The youthful activist said the Central Bank might even contribute to voter apathy because the people are not happy with blunders of the Khama government yet they are being told in advance that he will still be the President.

'People might stay home and not vote thinking it is obvious that the BDP will win. But as you know in politics, anything is possible. The BNF can win. So what happens if we win? Do we leave his portrait in the notes or what?,' he asked.

He explained that having a president's portrait on the currency gives him or her legitimacy. When the people see the portrait on the currency, they accept him as their president. 'But if say we take power after the October elections, and we continue to keep Khama's image, our president will not have that sense of legitimacy. That is why I think the bank made a blunder. They are now meddling in politics. They have shown that they hold us in contempt and assume we will lose the elections as the opposition,' he said. The ruling party has said that the Central Bank is doing its normal job of changing portraits in currencies.

The Central Bank's spokesperson Chepete Chepete has said the change of portraits is not meant to endorse anyone. He said there is nothing untoward about the replacement of a former president's portrait with that of his successor. He said every time a new government comes in, they change portraits in the currency.

'With Khama, we didn't do it right away. There is no time frame to say when to replace the portrait. We have to be cost-conscious. In the process to mop out soiled bank notes and replacing them with new ones, we then consider replacing the portrait,' he said.