�The worst, a disaster, a demon�
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Thursday December 8, 2016 18:00
He likened Khama to a demon powered by human sacrifice and suffering.
Speaking to a full Parliament, with the public galleries and gardens well occupied, Boko gave his harshest indictment of Khama, before an attentive, quiet and sometimes stunned audience.
But when Boko likened Khama to a demon feeds off “human sacrifice and suffering”, a rukus ensued with loud protestations from the floor and demands that he withdraw the description.
Defence, Justice and Security minister, Shaw Kgathi and National Assembly deputy speaker, Kagiso Molatlhegi demanded that Boko withdraw the description. Basic Education minister, Unity Dow said while Boko was possibly not wrong to use the word, he had to comply with the deputy speaker and withdraw the word.
The opposition leader however stood his ground and instead replaced the word “demon” with a word many interpreted as more unpalatable worse.
Boko said Khama’s regime had presided over the “worst destruction of our democratic impulses and energies”. Moreover, it is “intensifying the monitoring of viewpoints and disrespecting those it disagreed” with.
“And all the while, the President struts across the country like a behemoth seemingly oblivious of the formidable dangers of his self-serving hypocrisy. His Ministers and henchmen strut with him, like peacocks, all the while forgetting that peacocks strut because they can fly.
“A healthy democracy is one whose branches of government are strong, independent and empowered to pursue their mandates,” Boko said.
He said a functioning democracy is one whose laws and practices are designed and applied to ensure fairness as well as checks and restraints in the entire system. The opposition leader said these are necessary conditions for prosperity, justice, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
“Is our democracy healthy and functioning? No, it is in fact on its deathbed. It is imploding because the executive has become the law unto itself. It does as it pleases in its unchecked lust for power and dominance.”
The opposition leader said there is nothing that the legislature can do about the “suffocation of democracy” except “ineffectual and superficial debates on the floor of Parliament”.
“The Parliament of Botswana cannot make its own economic projections or carry out its own sector impact studies. How does an institution charged to account to the economy, among other things, do so competently when it does not have the tools to do so,” he said.
In an address, during which he at times appeared emotional, Boko slammed Khama on what he described as:
* Rock bottom morale in the public service
* Toxic relationship between government and public servants
* Government’s unwillingness to set job targets or rein in greed
* Poverty, malnutrition, unemployment, poor quality of jobs created
* Emasculation of legislature and judiciary
* Suppression and polarisation of the media
* Growth of violent and intrusive crime
* Wasteful military spending
“We must speak out against the venality of this President and his Ministers. The unfortunate reality is that even the ruling party backbench, with the exception of one Ignatius Moswaane once in a while, and ruling party Chief Whip Kablay, when his position of Chief Whip is under threat, lacks the courage to exercise frank and plain speech. They whine in private, but engage in overt superficial pandering. Tortured souls.”
“Is it not time we accept that the judiciary is an institution in crisis deserving of a carefully constituted judicial commission of inquiry”
“The closure of BCL so far remains by far the biggest reason why this government is shamefully unfit to continue to hold power.”
“As I have said before, our President is like a demon propitiated only by human sacrifice and suffering. He has brought nothing but huge DISASTER upon our country. As he staggers into his retirement, he will forever be haunted by the guttural cries of the many people whose lives he has wrecked, and the silent tears of the workers of this country whose livelihoods he brought into rack and ruin.”