Letter To Hon TK
Correspondent | Monday November 14, 2016 16:50
TK, I also came across one or two interesting reading; saying that you are a very popular figure among Ministers and MPs, among journalists also. Congratulations, you appear to be a friendly guy, a free spirit who gels with any class. And I hear, you are a very outspoken fellow too, another compliment.
TK, I don’t dispute you are a very sweet guy, everybody’s man (with exception of Ngamiland and Boteti). However, buddy the idea of another Khama brother taking over from a Khama brother as President of Botswana, totally embarrasses me, as a stateman. E a ntena, thata. I will explain.
You have the right to stand whenever you feel ready, as an individual, but as a Khama, you have the moral obligation to protect the name of the dynasty from hatred, it is a hallowed name. I think your brother, Ian, played it so well; he waited, and waited, and waited, until the public yearned for him like they were yearning for water on a hot day in the desert.
He was mobbed with love, everywhere he went, people just attended his events, not to hear him talk, just to see him. Of course, bad policies and certain decision-makings during his Presidency earned him a bad reputation, but that’s life.
That is something to consider. They will say, nooo, not another Seretse Khama’s son, not this time. TK, maybe you just have to leave that Presidential ambition to your son, when he is ready in 20 years’ time.
Besides having to square up against your brother’s legacy, you wont win. TK, plus, we will never forget your leadership style at your Ministry, where you are the only Minister with his own secret service outside the DIS, where you are the only Minister to move over P80 million of Tourism levy (or what is it called?) to BTO, and have it spent on tourism events of your taste like Makgadikgadi epic air-show etc.
That Dubai tourism marketing deal worth millions of Pula, that you went to sign without the BTO CEO, those they didn’t do your name any good.
I’m mentioning recent stuff that came out during the parliamentary committee sitting.The things that came out from your PS, and your BTO CEO, when they gave their reports to the parliamentary committee, they were shocking, frightening. In fact I concluded, TK, you could be a bad choice as President.
But that’s not even my point. Supposing there were not even issues around you, at the Ministry, or BTO, and supposing your brother’s legacy was a shining example, I would still say, not another Khama so soon, TK, ga se bogosi, let’s give other families a chance, le rona ke boswa jwa borra rona, they may not have led as Presidents, but they built this country.They toiled under more difficult circumstances even. That’s my gripe, TK, the moment you beat Sisiboy, that’s the end for you also. But if it is destiny, you will stand and fall like a man, I guess.