Masisi's appointments a southern affair
Ryder Gabathuse | Friday November 9, 2018 18:00
FRANCISTOWN: One of the glaring developments in the public service since Masisi’s ascendancy to the highest office in the land has been how he has been handling appointments to key positions in government and parastatals.
Masisi’s appointments to critical positions in the civil service have been a southern affair with people from mainly the Southern District getting the nod. It might be too early however, to appraise Masisi’s actions as one might argue, rightly so, that he is still finding his bearing, having assumed the Presidency of Botswana hardly seven months ago.
A disturbing trend is emerging and that is, more and more people south of the Dibete cordon fence are getting the nod to assume critical positions if and when available.
Deputy Permanent Secretary to the President, Elias Magosi, director general of the Directorate of Intelligence and Security (DIS), Peter Magosi, head of government communications John Thomas Dipowe, Chief Justice Terrence Rannowane, University of Botswana (UB) chancellor, Linah Mohohlo, UB vice chancellor Professor David Norris, recent diplomatic appointments of Mmasekgowa Masire-Mwamba and Dr John Seakgosing, to mention a few,, make the list.
Masisi’s appointments are compounded by the reality that already strategic positions in the civil service are headed by southerners such as the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) Secretary Keireng Zuze, her brother, the Police Commissioner Keabetswe Makgophe, Commissioner of Prisons, Silas Motlalekgosi, the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) Commander Placid Segokgo, Attorney General Abraham Keetshabe, Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC) headed by Victor Bruno Paledi and director of Public Prosecutions Stephen Tiroyakgosi amongst others.
“We really don’t want to entertain the thought that Masisi could possibly allow the issue of geography to influence appointments in the civil service. It cannot be, it just cannot be!” retorted a BDP Young Turk that preferred anonymity, but quickly added that the idea appears far-fetched.
As a nation, she continued: “We came a long way, working so hard in the last five decades to ensure that the accident of geography does not colour our judgement of appointments of public servants”. She acknowledged that Masisi’s appointments in the few months he has been at the helm of the nation raise interesting questions, which questions cannot escape the nation’s attention. “Is it by pure coincidence or design that more and more people south of the Dibete cordon fence seem to be getting the nod to occupy critical positions on offer?” she wondered.
“One supposes that the President’s advisers are able to proffer proper advice on an important issue like appointments of heads of institutions like the Judiciary,” commented another source who will remain anonymous because he is a civil servant at the Office of the President and not authorised to comment on issues of this nature.
He personally holds a strong view that appointments should be informed by competence. “However, geographical factor is equally important as it has the effect of wedging the nation together because if people from a certain part of the country feel overlooked on appointments to important positions, it may breed disunity,” warned our source.
Perception in politics is more important than reality, emphasises University of Botswana, political and administrative studies lecturer, Adam Mfundisi said, analysing Masisi’s appointments.
“There have been numerous appointments made by the President of the Republic of Botswana in pursuance of his Executive powers as per Section 47 of the Botswana Constitution. Most appointments have raised eyebrows due to perceived bias toward the cadres from the southern part of the country,” he posits.
Additionally, Mfundisi has noted disturbing trends in the appointments that point to preferential treatment to people from Moshupa and Kanye in particular. “One such typical example is the elevation of High Court judge, Rannowane to the office of Chief Justice of the Republic of Botswana by-passing senior judges of the Court of Appeal and High Courts.
The breakaway from precedents set since Independence was perceived as an attempt by the President to appoint people from the southern part of the country, and more specifically from Southern District and surrounding areas, where the President hails from.”
He added: “The reshuffle of the Cabinet indicated the biasness of the President toward people from the south”.
These appointments reflect some elements of bias toward people from the southern part of the country contrary to the popular expectations. The BDP has a strong base in the northern part of the country. Therefore, it’s puzzling why the President is venturing into this dangerous terrain of regional politics, which is littered with landmines, road detours, and road closures. “If the perceptions on this matter are not handled strategically by the President, they have the potential to destabilise the country. The President’s press secretary should knock down the perception by providing information on the criteria that the President used to appoint public officials,” appealed the UB don.
Furthermore, Mfundisi highlighted that the President must know that nowadays the ‘truth’ is negotiable.
The perception, if not dispelled, will stick and past and future appointments will be interpreted as furthering the perceived inclination toward the southerners.
Patronage system as advanced by the President of the Republic of Botswana promotes or constrains government performance or quality of public services.
Thundered Mfundisi: “The President’s judgement is suspect”.
He called on Masisi to be strategic in his appointments to key political and administrative positions.
People are used to the dominance of northerners in the appointments to key positions in government therefore, a sudden change with no sufficient information on the logic of such moves is filled with suspicion and nagging doubts in the minds of people. Generally, people are hard-wired to old habits and any change must be incremental to, “ease the discomfort, anxiety and fear that are inherent in any change process. Strategic education and communication are critical to effective change management”.
Mfundisi is worried that the Masisi southern-based appointments are likely to sow disunity in the country. He advises the President to tread with uttermost care on these perceived appointments to government positions motivated by regionalism. Regionalism has a long and enduring history in this country traceable to colonial and post-colonial periods. Political leaders such as the first president, the late Sir Seretse Khama handled it cautiously and coherently to promote national unity. They appointed political and bureaucratic officials strategically to maintain the delicate balance between northerners and southerners.
In his analysis, Mfundisi was adamant that human beings are not products of logic, but creatures of moods, feelings, motives, interests and aspirations that change from time to time to adapt to their external environments. Any change to the status quo, he says must be strategically carried out to allay any fears and anxiety amongst the population.
“As I have argued before, in politics, perception is more important than truth as the latter is negotiable,” he said in summation.