The pain of collective bargaining

Innocent Selatlhwa | Friday February 17, 2017 11:21

The International Affairs and Cooperation minister told a media briefing that former President Festus Mogae was known as the ‘absent president’ because he was always abroad. Hence, she said, President Ian Khama had decided to focus on SADC and national responsibilities while Vice President Mokgweetsi Masisi was given the mandate to focus on AU and the UN.

Her remarks were in response to the general belief that Khama’s constant absence from the AU, in particular, dented Venson-Moitoi’s chances in the race for the AU Commission’s chair.

For Venson-Moitoi, her loss was because the election was a political game and even her rich CV did not stand a chance.

Other commentators, however, who include President Robert Mugabe, are pointing fingers at Khama’s absence as being the reason Venson-Moitoi lost. In a post-AU summit interview, Mugabe directly said Khama’s absence was to blame for Venson-Moitoi’s loss, adding that Zimbabwe and other SADC states had tried to support her, but the political game was won by those whose leaders showed up and worked behind the scenes. The Zimbabwean leader was quoted on Africa Review newspaper saying President Khama did not lobby enough for his minister. “We worked behind the scenes and the poor lady tried her best,” President Mugabe was quoted in one of the regional newspapers.

“But the other countries were arguing that ah, you are a daughter whose father never appears at the AU and sometimes takes contrary positions (to those of the bloc). So she had no chance.”

 A few days before the January AU Summit, private secretary to the President, George Tlhalerwa told Mmegi that the President had “more pressing engagements” here at home and Masisi would vote on his behalf.

“There are a lot of pressing issues that the President has to attend to and hence the Vice President will represent him. The year has just begun and things have piled up. With the team led by Masisi and ministers who are capable, we believe they will do the right thing,” he said. From Tlhalerwa’s explanation, there is no mention of it not being his role, but that because he was busy at that particular time. Infact, it was the first time it was made known that there was such an agreement, which only came to light through Venson-Moitoi’s tweet while in Addiss Ababa.

In 2013, the then Minister for Defence, Justice and Security Ramadeluka Seretse defended Khama’s snubbing of the AU summits saying the head of state has other obligations. Seretse said the President was unable to attend because of equally important local commitments. “There is always a conscious decision to balance his internal and external commitments. In his absence, Botswana is always ably represented at the highest level either by the Vice-President or Cabinet Ministers,” Seretse was quoted by Kenyan based Africa Review newspaper.

In 2014, the then Minister of Presidential Affairs and Public Administration, Mokgweetsi Masisi told Parliament that ever since Khama ascended to the top office in 2008, he has never attended a single meeting of the UN General Assembly or the AU Heads of State summits. This was after the then Gaborone Central MP Dumelang Saleshando demanded to know why the then Foreign Affairs minister, Phandu Skelemani led Botswana’s delegation to the 22nd Ordinary Session of the Assembly of heads of state and government of the AU in Addis Ababa. Khama attended six Conservation International meetings in the USA. Despite being close to the President in his ministry, Masisi did not mention to Parliament that the UN was for the Vice President and not the President.

Even though Venson-Moitoi’s explanation is that the President is justified for snubbing international assignments, Mmegi archives from 2005 states that Government spokesperson, Jeff Ramsay defended Mogae’s international trips. “If we compare his trips to that of other heads of state, you would realise his are modest,” Ramsay said. He said as a small country, Botswana’s presence should be felt on the international scene and this can be achieved by visits by the head of state. He said every visit undertaken by Mogae has a purpose and cabinet ministers are performing their duties well.

This was in response to lamentations from opposition leaders and Batswana then that Mogae did not consult Batswana on a number of issues because he was always away.

Perhaps what is now left is that the President undermines the value of the organisations as quoted by the South African media. Khama told a South African daily: “You are given seven to ten minutes to speak and then you come back home and you say it is worth flying all the way and spending all that money for seven minutes. Is it going to make a difference? And with all those heads of state speaking, who is listening at the end of the day?”