Masire the hero leaves automatic succession

Editor | Friday November 9, 2007 00:00

Sir Ketumile is not an ordinary personality in Botswana and the international world. Hence it is appropriate for this publication to pay special tribute to him for the ideals and aspirations he stood for as a retired president and now a statesman of high standing.

Sir Ketumile is a retired president and he has sufficiently distinguished himself as a person who is prepared to live with the commitments and ideals that he set himself: as torch bearer of the nation who retired voluntarily from office and more than willing to ensure that he lives to promote the spirit of good governance and democracy.

While his peers in the mould of retired Nambian President Sam Nujoma, Zambia's Frederick Chiluba and our southern neighbour, Thabo Mbeki, who is eyeing a third term, have chosen the narrow and self-centred route to hang onto power, Sir Ketumile has adopted a hands-off approach.

Clearly, his successor, Festus Mogae who is about to retire from office has enjoyed his stay in power without having to be eclipsed and overshadowed by Sir Ketumile's undue interference in both the affairs of the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) and government. Sir Ketumile has therefore set a good example for other leaders in Africa as those who retire from office but cannot at the same time enjoy the trappings of power accorded to their successors. On another level, the role played by retired Mozambique president, Joachim Chissano, as the guest speaker at the Sir Ketumile Foundation dinner is yet another illustration of the importance of the ideals shared by Chissano and Sir Ketumile in promoting democracy and good governance. 

Just like Sir Ketumile, Chissano is a retired president who has been a peace envoy and he has committed himself to promote such ideals. In fact, Chissano recently won himself millions in appreciation of the role he continues to play to promote democracy and good governance.

However, it would be most unacceptable not to chide Sir Ketumile for the legacy of automatic succession which he has left this country, which is poised to undermine his commitment to democracy: Quite clearly, Sir Ketumile left office after ensuring that he and the BDP fixed the ascendancy of their own to the country's high office instead of solving problems that afflicted his party then.

And now the country is stuck with the stigma of automatic succession as far as the presidency of the country is concerned.

                                                         Today's Thought
Compromise makes a good umbrella, but a poor roof; it is temporary expedient, often wise in party politics, almost sure to be unwise in statesmanship.
                                                         - James Russell Lowell