Batswana don't read - Magang

Thalefang Charles
Staff Writer | Monday April 26, 2010 00:00

 

Magang said this at his book review session at Phakalane last week Thursday. Two years after publishing the book, Magang invited local scribes, book critics and literature enthusiasts to discuss a number of issues raised in the book.

Responding to questions on his relationship with a number of political figures mentioned in the book, Magang revealed that he received telephone complaints from some people just a few days after the launch.

'From the way they complained, you could tell that these people did not read the whole book,' observed Magang.

He added that the protesters seemed to have just gone to the index and looked for their names and read only the chapters where they detected missing details.

Magang further revealed that 'some complaints were from people who did not even read the book but only heard that I wrote badly about them'. This, he said, shows Batswana's big problem of lack of reading, hence his observation that 'if you want to hide anything from Batswana, put it in the book'.

On his lack of respect for Khama III and hero-worshiping Sechele, Magang defended his stance and cited that it was only his opinion 'probably due to lack of historical literature on the subject'. He said he formed his opinion from the available literature.

In the book Magang crowned Sechele as 'the greatest Motswana' and father of the nation. Khama III, despite being dubbed 'The Great', with vast land on which he successfully built a prominent tribe in Botswana, does not feature in Magang's 'Epochal Five' which ranked Botswana's greatest historical figures.

On the family, second born son, Thola Magang, spoke about how his parents raised them. He said his understandably strict father was always open to them on the running of business, which will make it easier for them to run their successful family business when the founder dad retires.

The former cabinet minister ended by declaring that he has no ambitions for the presidency saying, 'I'm retired. I have left it for you'.

Magang's book was launched in July 2008 and it made headlines from his candid accounts of his political life and his stand on a number of national issues like diamond beneficiation and entrepreneurship.