BCC boss quits but keeps the spirit

| Friday May 14, 2010 00:00

 

Mmegi: When did you join the BCC?

Modiega: In 1993. I was coming from Kgolagano Theological College but before then I had worked for Botswana Cooperative Bank as an accountant.

Mmegi: So how did you find the Lord?

Modiega: I grew up in the Roman Catholic Church. I was once an altar boy during the time of Bishop Murphy.

Mmegi: What was your dream job when you were growing up?

Modiega: I wanted to be a professional football player, but then along the way I became an accountant. I actually played for Black Peril alongside the likes of Spokes Gaborone and also with Ashford Mamelodi who was our centre forward. He was a great sprinter. I also played for Gaborone United.

Mmegi: A great footballing career it must have been, but what led to the detour?

Modiega: Actually besides football, I wanted to become a medical doctor as I was studying major sciences at secondary school. But my father passed away in 1978 when I was at school. Being the first born in a family of many children, I had to look for a job. So I went to work at Barclays to support my family in 1979.

It was there that I developed an interest in finances, hence I was to go and study accounts and business studies and later agricultural financing in Italy.

Mmegi:  What then was your position when you joined the BCC?

Modiega: I was finance manager working under then general secretary, Churchill Gape. Two years into the position Botswana was pronounced a middle-income country and thus donors started pulling out. This had a negative impact on funding for NGOs. BCC had financial problems. We had to restructure and downsize the organisation.

Mmegi: So how did you brave the storm?

Modiega: It was a difficult time in my working life. We retrenched 42 people and just the thought of it was unbearable for me. It's not good when someone loses their job. It was a scary moment.

Mmegi: What strategies did you employ?

Modiega: We were fortunate that we had properties like Kopano House at the Station Mall. But then we had a big loan, which we got when we built it (Kopano House). So we wondered whether to sell it or keep it, but the executive committee (of BCC) was bold. In about four years we were able to pay off the whole debt. So I look back and said we did well for the BCC. I realised that we could be self-sustaining.

Mmegi: What is the BCC mandate?

Modiega: It was formed in the 1960's at a time when there was a big drought in the country. We were created to manage disaster and the donors said we couldn't help individuals but could only work with groups of churches under one roof. So you see who dictates the agenda? Overseas churches decide where they are going to put their money and it dictates your level of dependency. We had to quickly build the BCC profile internationally and locally.

Mmegi: Why the PR drive?

Modiega: Some people were saying we had gone under, hence we had to go around and show that we still exist. We attended all functions in all the villages.

Mmegi: There has always been conflict between the BCC and OAIC (Organisation of African Instituted Churches) and Evangelical Fellowship of Botswana organisations. How have you dealt with it?

Modiega: It's true that we never saw eye to eye. There was a belief that BCC was trying to lord over the church fraternity and take people from their (EFB and OAIC) churches. We have been able to reconcile differences and now we work together and speak with one voice on national issues.

Mmegi: When did you become general secretary of the BCC?

Modiega: It was in 1997. In fact,at first I was reluctant because I was not a theologian. I felt I would not deliver well on issues the church community wanted to work on. But I took it and have been successful in spearheading the BCC's mandate in socio-economic and social justice related matters. We played a major role in the CKGR case. We also concentrated on building the capacity among pastors to be the voice of the voiceless.

Mmegi: The BCC has been instrumental in playing a visible role in encouraging behaviour change as a solution to ending HIV/AIDS. What prompted this activism?

Modiega: When HIV/AIDS was rampant and people were dying the church could not be aloof as people died. There was no shying away as there was no right word for 'sex'. We then started targeting young people through the Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health (ASRH) sponsored by UNFPA, to try and target the gate-keepers, the church leaders, to address sexuality and emotions of someone as they grow. To say let's talk about sexuality in churches.

Mmegi: How did you do it?

Modiega: There was a deliberate campaign to incorporate issues of sexuality in sermons and this helped a lot as pastors became comfortable preaching about these issues.

Mmegi: You are Catholic and The Church (Roma) is averse to the use of contraceptives like condoms. How did you deal with the Catholic clergy on prevention matters?

Modiega: As BCC we understood Catholics had a difference of opinion because they would not touch condoms. The Catholics are part of BCC. There was a consensus that they would talk about morality and abstinence. That they will preach ABC (Abstinence, Be careful and Condomise) with a small C. Catholics believe people should abstain and wait until they are married. On condoms, they say don't allow yourself to be emotionally taken away, but if you can't then as a last resort use a condom.

Mmegi: Which other programmes did the BCC engage in? 

Modiega: We wanted to bring street kids back to the community, rehabilitate them and bring them back to the education system. The project is based in Old Naledi and Francistown. We also had a vocational and primary school for school drop-outs in Selebi-Phikwe where we encouraged slow learners to go back to school. But it closed down due to financial woes.

Mmegi: How true is it that you once engaged an Etsha community in the Ngami district to practice farming?

Modiega: It's true. We found them living in poor conditions and decided to buy them donkeys and ploughs. But when we came back to see how they were doing, we were told that they melted the ploughs and ate the donkeys.Mmegi: So what did you do next?

Modiega: We encouraged women to do basket weaving on a commercial scale. On the other hand we buy their products and sell them, and use the proceeds to help poor families in the area to cope with poverty.

Mmegi: What other socio-political activities have you embarked on?

Modiega: We have built information around elections, monitored elections in Botswana and other countries. I have led the Fellowship of Christian Councils in Southern Africa as a chair for four years. The organisation brought national Christian councils together to discuss regional issues on social economic justice, governance and peace. It was at a time when Angola was just coming out of the war. So we monitored peace in different states.

Mmegi: So what did you do in Angola?

Modiega: We had an opportunity to send youth on an exchange programme to Angola where they taught people there that there is life beyond the AK47, that negotiations can guarantee peace.

Mmegi: What role have you played in the refugee situation?

Modiega: BCC has been involved in the discussion around the Caprivi Strip and Meshack Muyongo and the Namibian government who was accused of encouraging  secession by Namibian government. We mediated to encourage the two parties to talk about their differences. Muyongo is now living in exile in Denmark. We still believe this can be solved without creating an extra state. Here at home, we are involved together with government and UNHCR in ensuring that refugees at Dukwi are given health education and shelter, among others.

Mmegi: Some critics have accused the church of taking a backseat in the political affairs of the country. What is your take on this?

Modiega: We never take a backseat. Rupert Hambira, as president of the BCC, spoke out against government. In the CKGR issue between government and Basarwa, we commissioned a report by Alice Mogwe to find out who between the Batswana and Basarwa is indigenous to that area. Government did not take kindly to the report. Lately, we have also been able to agree with President Ian Khama that we should meet twice in a year to discuss national matters. We may not be making media headlines but we do raise issues on politics all the time.

Mmegi: Some people have accused the church of trying to help the state in controlling the way people dress, behave and spend their free time. What is your take on this one?

Modiega: Civilisation and development are good. We have moved in great strides to be an affluent society but we should not forget where we are coming from. It's a shame that people would want to wake up and go to shebeens and not work. I also blame the state for perpetuating poverty by encouraging handouts. The state must empower people.

The church will always work against what is morally wrong.  I support Dikgosi, pastors and government for working to build a morally upright society.

Mmegi: The church community is replete with stories of pastors who impregnate their flock. What is the cause for this moral corruption?

Modiega: The church does not condone abuse of power and positions such that you make love to the congregation. The church, in general, upholds the question of morality, but it is challenged by the weakness of pastors who use their positions to take advantage of the congregation. Scripture says at these trying times you will have real believers, and those who are not real to 'the word'. They are using the church to get their way around.

Mmegi: What is your view on the Barata-Phathi breakaway from the ruling BDP and issues around it?

Modiega: I am concerned by the state of intolerance on the part of the leadership. There is a lot of intolerance and an attitude of fear that is growing. People nowadays are careful of what they say lest they speak out of turn and get reprimanded. We are moving towards a situation where our resolution of differences is not consistent with what our needs will be.

Mmegi: So where are you off to?

Modiega: I have been asked to concentrate on creating an investment arm of the BCC. I will use my financial background to build assets and later a church bank for the BCC.

Mmegi: You mean something similar to the Vatican bank?

Modiega: You could say that. At BCC we believe that for the church to grow and be in a good position to carry out its mandate to the maximum we need to have the financial wherewithal.