Khama�s youthful image
Thalefang Charles | Monday September 15, 2014 12:45
Two weeks ago, when he debuted on Facebook, a 2008 photo-shopped picture of the image conscious President was used. The profile picture was of him at the age of 55.
The picture was expertly photo-shopped and airbrushed on the chin to remove dark beard stumps that makes him look old. The doctoring of the picture suggests that the President prefers to keep a youthful image.
The jacket in the Facebook picture was also painted black instead of the vintage striped charcoal suit he is wearing in the original picture.
The original image of his Facebook profile was the one meant to be his presidential official portrait in 2009 after his first election victory.
The picture shows Khama in a striped charcoal suit with purple shirt with a matching tie that has purple, white and grey stripes. In this picture the president looks older than his official presidential portrait.
A closer inspection of the picture reveals that during the shoot, the president was lower in elevation with relations to the photographer.
He appears to be slightly looking up. His face has wrinkles and the chin is dark showing faint beard line.
There is a hidden smile on his lips too.
Government spokesperson Dr Jeff Ramsay confirmed that the official presidential portrait is a picture taken 10 years ago in 2004 for the ninth Parliament, of 2004 - 2009 when Khama was still vice president.
Ramsay said, “[Khama] did not see the need for a new one as he was satisfied with what was then his official photo.”
This is the picture that is on P10 notes and hanging on the walls of many establishments.
This official presidential portrait shows a youthful president at 51-years-old with a complete crop of black hair rather than his current Afro hairstyle that has patches of brown hair.
It does not have pronounced wrinkles that are evident in the newer images.
The picture shows that the photographer was slightly lower on elevation to the President during the shoot, probably both on their feet and the photographer being short in height.
Interestingly, in this 2004 image, he is wearing the same clothes, suit and tie, that he wore four years later during his first swearing in as President on April’s Fools Day in 2008.