Wonderful but we failed to showcase unity in diversity

Monitor Editor | Monday May 26, 2014 14:26

For such a magnificent and humongous event shouldn’t the mayor of the city have been pencilled in to welcome the 53 countries to  Gaborone?  There was no sign of the mayor nor any mention of him during the speeches.

Is it possible that the mayor was deliberately left out of the opening ceremony simply because he is a member of the opposition? Even the leader of  the opposition and MP for the area where the opening ceremony was held, Dumelang Saleshando was nowhere to be seen. Botswana as a shining example of democracy, as she is often referred to, should be sensitive to certain perceptions that  could taint the name of  the country.

The Africa Youth Games  did well to expose our coming of age as an economy, our coming of age as a sporting nation, our growth in the arts, tourism, all of which are commendable.

We also feel that the aspect of politics and democracy, where we also pride ourselves in, should have been given the same acknowledgment, even if it meant giving the political nemesis broadcast mileage in this year of elections.

Our opposition politicians often appear to be forgotten when it matters most. For instance in political funding or broadcast coverage by the state Btv and Radio Botswana. No wonder why some strongly believe that the status quo could be a deliberate system to  dominate the less resourced opposition in an uneven playing field.

Nevertheless it is our sincere hope that the hosting of these games will go a long way in marketing the abilities of Botswana both across Africa and the world.

We also hope that this has opened the door to the hosting of other major sporting events such as the All Africa Games and Afcon.

As a destination of tourists and investors, there is no doubt that the use of such international television pulling events will help to sell our diverse profile. The lead role played by our head of state in these games is also commendable, it shows commitment from the very top, despite the fact that these are youth games.