"It aint me..."

BAME PIET
Staff Writer | Friday November 26, 2010 00:00

 

The exceptions, especially when what they said is seen as negative, are very rare, and Oreeditse Molebatsi, the Assistant Minister of Agriculture is certainly not one of them.

Molebatsi who on Wednesday became president Khama's praise poet in Parliament now denies ever making former Presidents Sir Ketumile Masire and Festus Mogae appear irrelevant. Speaking to Mmegi yesterday, Molebatsi said he holds the three former presidents, including founding President Sir Seretse Khama, in high esteem and would never utter remarks to belittle them. Our English translation, he said, could be no further from the truth.

In our story that we published yesterday we allude to the fact that Molebatsi said that Khama is greater than former president Festus Mogae and Ketumile Masire. Now the assistant minister feels Mmegi has been unfair and has made him appear disrespectful. We produce hereunder Molebatsi's poetry and leave it to the reader to be the judge.

'Ke a leboga Motsamaisa Dipuisanyo tsa Palamente e ya rona. Mme ke simolole mafoko a me ka go leboga Tautona yo e leng gore, ene ka boene, ke lantlha re bona yo o tshwanang le ene. Ba e tle e re ba opela ba re 'Ga go yo o tshwanang le ene'. Ba bangwe ba dirile fa ba dirileng teng, re a ba leboga le bone. Fa a tseeletseng teng, ene a tsaya seetsele sa go sianela kwa pele, go lebega o kare re tlaa lebala gore go kile ga nna le ba bangwe. Go a lebega, ga kere go ntse jalo. Yo e reng a tsamaya gongwe le gongwe, le ba e reng ba le mo ntlong e, fa a feta fa re kwa magaeng, ba a itebala gore ba a tle ba mmue jang. Ba bo ba re kgarametse ba batla go mo dumedisa, re re, 'Jaanong, a ga se bone ba le ba maloba?'. Yo o reng a tsamaya, bana le basadibagolo ba boba duduetsa, banna ba Kganetso o bone ba mo okomela ka diherwana tsa dihatana. Basadi ba rwele dijale ba duduetsa, banna bangwe ba batla go re kgarametsa ba re, 'Ga re le rona ke wa rona'.  Re ne re re, Modimo tlhe o mo okeletse matsatsi, o mo fe thata. A tswelele pele, tse dimpe tsotlhe tse di buiwang ka ga ene, a itse fa a romilwe ke setshaba, a di itlhokomolose. Fa go agelwa batlhoki matlo, batho ba a lela ba re, 'le rona okare re ka bo re tshwere garawe e a neng a e tshwere'. Jaanong, o bo o ipotsa gore, naare ga se bone ba le ba maloba? Ke ne ke re morwa Kgama, a tse dingwe tse di lebegang e le ditlhokwa, o tseye e le mainane fela ga se sepe fela. Wena o tswelele fela ka se o itseng gore o se romilwe. Tshaba e ya Botswana e beile mo go wena, gore o e etelele go e thusa gore e ntsha mo lehumeng'

Translation'Thank you madam speaker. Let me first thank the President, he who is like none before him. A popular song goes 'There is none like him'. Others have done their part, we also thank them. When he took the baton, he took the medal for running farther, it appears we may forget that there were others before. It appears, I am not saying it is so.

He who when he passes, even his critics forget what they always say about him. They even push us in their scramble to greet him leaving us wondering 'aren't these those from yesterday?' When he passes by children and old women ululate, and men  from the opposition peep at him from crevices in between their silos. Women clad in their shawls, and some men shoving declaring 'He is also ours too.'

May God extend his days many times over. May he progress and ignore all bad things said about him, and appreciate that he has been mandated by the nation.

When houses are constructed for the destitute people cry out 'If only we also could touch the spade that he was using'. Now you ask, are these not the same people from yesterday. I say to Khama's son, petty talk is like sticks, it is just tales. Go ahead and do what you know you have been sent to do. The nation looks to you to pull it out of poverty.'