The hawkish, reliable right-hand man
Ryder Gabathuse | Thursday January 8, 2015 13:21
He reports that Merafhe has been an attack dog and elder that both the BDP and government could not do without. Merafhe adjusted very well into civilian life and joined active politics in 1989 after retiring from the army where he had been founding commander of the Botswana Defence Force (BDF).
He would later become one of the longest serving Foreign Affairs Ministers in the region after 14 years in the docket. From the ministry, he was appointed vice president by President Ian Khama, his former number two in the army.
Khama knew very well who he was bringing to his side when he settled for Merafhe as his deputy at a turbulent time in the history of the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) in 2008. He gave Merafhe the nod at a time when a faction of the BDP commonly known as Barata-Phathi was battling for inclusion in both government and the party against the dominant A-Team axis. To quell the political fires, Khama then rewarded the Barata-Phathi with the party chairmanship and allowed Merafhe who was associated with the A-team to be his right-hand man. Essentially, Merafhe came in to protect Khama’s presidency against any invasion.
From then on, he never regretted his choice as Merafhe performed with distinction in defending the party on going on the offensive against perceived enemies. First as a disciplined military man, Merafhe’s loyalty to Khama was not in doubt. Realising that his boss could not match the voluble opposition politicians, he chose to lead the verbal warfare with notable aggression.
Merafhe, who has a penchant for engaging his political opponents, openly declared war against all enemies of the party to the amusement of Khama. It was his business to take on BDP critics in Parliament and political rallies, shredding the opposition into pieces. While Khama concentrated on administration, Merafhe manned the political field and represented his boss in international assignments. In the process, Khama had ample time to consolidate his power in government and the party. Since both Merafhe and Khama have military backgrounds and both originate from Serowe, the two seemed to be reading from the same page in most cases.
It has always been Merafhe’s business to defend Khama in Parliament with the gusto of a real fighter. Khama’s presidency never came closer to being threatened by any forces with Merafhe by his side. Take for instances, at a time when opposition politicians, questioned Khama’a nationality claiming that he was British. It was Merafhe’s business to punch holes in the claims providing all the answers on the spot.
Merafhe proved himself a street fighter post the BDP Kanye congress when Gomolemo Motswaledi and the pack that finally founded the Botswana Movement for Democracy(BMD). Merafhe was there when his boss needed him most. He fought all the battles and ensured his boss kept a distance from the youthful politicians. Today, Merafhe is having the last laugh as some of the key BMD founders have trooped back to the BDP.
If not held up by duty, he was a marvel to watch in Parliament where he was a regular. Merafhe is a seasoned politician and this country will miss his contributions to the political discourse. His mind was razor sharp and his intellectual level matched all the politicians pound for pound. Often, Merafhe’s mien defused the arrogance of opposition detractors in the public domain. University of Botswana political scientist, Professor Zibani Maundeni says about Merafhe: “I don’t think in an attempt to fill the void left by Merafhe’s departure, Khama will ever find a VP of Merafhe’s calibre.”
He describes Merafhe as one of the best vice presidents he has ever seen in the country. He reiterates that Khama will have a tough time in finding a replacement. Maundeni says a good deputy is one that listens and acts in consonant with the boss all the time. (This is a reproduction of a feature story that was published in July 2012).