I wish there was never a year called 2009

| Tuesday January 12, 2010 00:00

The barbaric murder of John Kalafatis by security forces moved even the hard-hearted.  Many thought the killing of Kalafatis could bring a stop to the extra judicial killings - how mistaken they were because the forces of evil continued as if nothing had happened. The Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) government seems to have embraced the 'shoot to kill' policy that is common in war torn countries.  In 2009 Batswana lived in fear. Unofficial night-to-dawn curfews were implemented with a brutal display of force. Members of the security forces became a law unto themselves. The police service reverted to a police force of yesteryears. It was a bad year for Botswana. The image of this country is now in tatters except in the eyes of multi-nationals and their partners who are milking the country.

Looking at 2010 one can only pray and wish the BDP government changes its course before some sections of Batswana fight back in self-defense.  At the expense  of provoking verbal persecution from Khama's henchmen, it would appear that the only time the BDPs shoot to kill policy will stop is when a sister, brother, son or daughter of a prominent Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) figure or a white FIFA World Cup tourist from America or Britain is accidentally shot to death by the forces close to the DIS.  Kana bangwe ba bone ga bana tsebe.

On the education front, our tertiary education was under threat from misguided and failed BDP policies. In short, the Khama administration shifted priority from education to Ipelegeng, spying, constituency league, handouts, Magapu, and many other ill-conceived and unsustainable Khama's pet projects. In 2010 things will certainly get worse before they improve. Already the BDP government has issued a statement shifting the burden of educating Batswana children to parents. With 75 percent of secondary school students exempted from paying school fees, it is absolutely preposterous to expect the same students to pay tuition fees in tertiary institutions. 

On the political front, in 2009 Botswana went through the most fraudulent general elections with thousands of registered voters disenfranchised by a dependent electoral commission.  As if that was not enough the Electoral Commission was helpless in curbing massive voter trafficking.  Even with such glaring failures discredited international observers gave Botswana's general elections   a clean slate. With the Motswaledi case most Batswana now understand that they have a constitution that protects the president only.

In 2010 Batswana will be looking at their elected representatives in Parliament to rescue the country from further going to the dogs. These men and women have a historical calling to bring Botswana back from the brink of collapse of the rule of law and bankruptcy.  They have a duty to strengthen our democratic institutions. A system where a lawmaker is required to request permission to draft a law is seriously flawed.  We need the Freedom of Information Act, a law that outlaws insider trading, Declaration of Assets Bill, and the abolition of the wasteful system of specially elected councilors and members of parliament.  Obviously parliamentarians must expect fierce resistance from Khama and his bootlickers in cabinet as they have a lot to hide from the public.  Their dealings with Chinese companies, citizen owned companies like RFT Botswana, and other tourism businesses across the country are suspect. 

The CKGR saga remains one of the outstanding matters that require a speedy resolution in 2010. In the past populations have been relocated to give way to mining. Therefore they did not have to cook stories around this matter except to raise suspicion of a hidden agenda.

Kesitegile Gobotswang (PhD)
BCP Deputy Leader