The power of sharing
Barolong Seboni | Friday April 4, 2014 11:55
Anyway, a lot of things happened in 2008; some good, some bad, some well done and some medium to rare! The two that come to mind that I think were the mark of a good year gone bad, or a bad year turned good, are the power-sharing deal of Uncle Bob and co and Malome Morgan, and the shoe-throwing spectacle of George W!
They are also the favourite moments of the fellows of Nitty Gritty. The fellows have demanded that I get out there and get the scoop on these two stories, and have forced me to interview the key players.
As luck would have it , I am well connected in these presidential circles - so connected that I am beginning to suspect that if I wasn’t a reporter operating from a shebeen, I would probably be a president operating from a banana republic! Or even a white house gone black. The point is that there’s a lot of similarity between a journalist and a politician with presidential ambitions. We are all fighting to be heard. We both believe we have a story to tell and that people should listen to us.
We are both fighting for the same turf really, but for different reasons. We both believe we have a monopoly to the truth. One expresses this truth through freedom of the media, the other through propaganda and control of the media. Which leads me back to our subjects - Uncle Bob and Cousin George W, they are relatives but they just don’t know it.
The interview with Mugabe was granted because he heard I was from Botswana and wanted to send certain signals to the people of Botswana, especially those of Zimbabwean descent. I was basically interested only in his power-sharing shenanigans and why things are not moving forward.
ME: Uncle, why is it taking so long to agree on this power-sharing deal?
Uncle Bob: Well, if I must tell you the truth, the reason why it has taken so long was because the other party did not understand what we meant by power-sharing. They thought we wanted them to share the power that we have.
ME: I myself thought so too
Uncle Bob: No, you are Botswana, that’s why you think like the opposition. Infact we hear and have info that you are training people into thinking that they can think that way. You are both wrong. This power-sharing, deal is not about the power we already have, but really about sharing with them the power we are about to give them. In other words my power is already with me. That which I don’t have yet I am willing to share.
ME: Sounds a little complicated.
Uncle Bob: You will never understand the dynamics of the struggle. We were in the bush for 20 years fighting for power and control from whites. Now when we have it, other people want it because they are black! What is that? Its racism! If they want to share power they must share their own first.
ME: But sir, how can they do that when they don’t have any power?
Uncle Bob: That’s what we are doing! We are giving them this power that they don’t have and we are saying to them “Okay, let’s share it now that you have it!”
ME: Do you think it’s fair?
Uncle Bob: Do I think it’s fair? Of course it’s fair! Who else will give them this opportunity to have power in their governments? Not the silly English of Gordon Brown, not the absurd Americans of Bush! Certainly not the opportunistic Tswana of Khama! These people are not offering anything as tangible as power.
ME: Now let’s be realistic and specific. What exactly are you offering in terms of power?
Uncle Bob: We are offering them the chance and opportunity to rule and share governance structures with us.
ME: Yes, but what does that mean precisely?
Uncle Bob: Your questions are almost as silly and nonsensical as those of the British and other western press! You would never ask that of Tony Bush and George Blair.
ME: I think you mean Tony Blair and George Bush.
Uncle Bob: Two individuals, one person! Same difference!
ME: What power-sharing deals are you offering?
Uncle Bob: We would share certain ministries and government departments. But they want us to share the Defence ministry and things like foreign policy. You can’t share those things! It’s practically impossible. How do you share Defence? When there is war how are we going to decide whose soldiers go where? My soldiers would not attack a comrade state and his soldiers would be soft on sell-out, neo-colonial puppets. Besides, the army is mine. I fought with them during the liberation war. So I listen to them, they don’t listen to me!
ME: So which ministry are you offering to the opposition?
Uncle Bob: The Ministry of Home Affairs.
ME: How would that be different? How is that one divisible?
Uncle Bob: There are many ways to do this. They can have the home affairs and we can have the ministry! If they don’t like that scenario we can give them the “home” and we can run all the affairs. There are many ways of killing a comrade…sorry, I mean there are many ways of killing a cat, comrade! But these guys just won’t come to the negotiation table and watch us do it!