Ian Khama - Born a leader

| Wednesday October 24, 2007 00:00

What is beautiful about Botswana, which even amazes Africa's doomsayer's abroad, is that President Festus Gontebanye Mogae is whole-heartedly handing the baton to his second in command - Vice President Ian Khama Seretse Khama. Unlike his peers all over Africa and even closer to home, he is not having second thoughts about relinquishing power. He is a happy man because like he always says, he is handing the baton to yet another capable man in the mould of Ian Khama. Mogae says during his tenure he did it his own way. I believe Seretse Khama did it his own way too. When Q.K.J. Masire took over after Seretse Khama's demise he did not parrot his predecessor but also did it his own way. Ian Khama will also do it his own way. Come April 2008 Botswana's democracy will get revitalized and rejuvenated when the born leader - Ian Khama - takes over to continue implementing the revered BDP manifesto.

A lot of noise has been made by Ian Khama's detractors, especially from the opposition, that his ascendancy to the presidency will be the beginning of the annihilation of democracy in Botswana. The opposition paint him as an autocrat who is going to quash any dissenting voice and rule with an iron fist using the armed forces. They claim that the recently adopted Security and Intelligence Bill is his brainchild, meant to be used to suppress opposition.

More has been said about our next president than any other president who ever ruled this country and most of it is negative. From the look of things some issues emanate just from the fact that he is a former soldier. But when you analyse closely there is also an element of jealousy. 'Why is it like he always gets everything on a silver platter' is the question in his detractors minds. That is unfortunate but very natural.

Ian Khama is the second born child of the first president of Botswana and king of Bangwato as we may all be aware. The first-born is a female. Being the first-born male, Ian became a leader at conception. The moment the Y and X chromosomes determined his gender he became the undisputed king of a very large and powerful tribe of the Bangwato in Botswana. Mind you our society is patriarchal. He was raised as a leader from birth.

After successfully completing his military studies at Sandhurst (UK) he joined the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) where he became a brigadier at the tender age of 24. His leadership qualities and excellence at work, worked well for him making him get the second in command position in the army after the current Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mompati Merafhe. He later on became the commander after Merafhe's retirement. From the army the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) identified him - looking at his immaculate work record - as the man who can bond it and take it to greater heights. He became Festus Mogae's vice president and come April 2008 he will be Botswana's president. What a feat!

No wonder under-achievers apply all PHD (Pull Him Down) machinations in an endeavour to make him look like an ogre. Some even go to the extent of questioning his academic credentials forgetting or deliberately misleading those who don't know that Sandhurst is held in the same esteem as reputable universities across the world.

Supporters of Ian Khama should not be perturbed by all the pandemonium caused by opposition parties and their functionaries. We should bear in mind that it is human nature to hunt for others' imperfection. Being a teetotaler Ian Khama always makes sober and informed decisions. That alone is his greatest strength for he is never caught off guard.

Alcohol as we know makes a man's tongue loose and divulge information which he would otherwise not when sober. That is why they say he is a closed book. May I not be misconstrued to be insinuating that he is perfect. No one is perfect. But I believe his perfections far outweigh imperfections.

To those of you who view former soldiers entering the political arena with negativity I urge you to console yourselves with the fact that unlike in other countries former soldiers entering politics in Botswana fit like a glove in hand. A typical example is the aforementioned first commander himself Mompati Merafhe. It is undisputable that the gentleman is doing a tremendous job as a legislator and Minister of Foreign Affairs. The same applies to Ramadeluka Seretse of Lands and Housing and Kitso Mokaila of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism. My opinion is that their army experience must be contributing to their apt performance. If Batswana who used to be in the army do a sterling job for the nation as politicians why not ask for more of them and avoid those blabber mouths from among civilian cadres whose performance is below par?

To opposition parties functionaries, I am happy to say they may call me  cheerleader, sycophant, bootlicker, crony or any name they are used to calling all those who are optimistic about Botswana and the BDP but they  shouldn't forget that they are never called names when they somnambulistically believed in Kenneth Koma (May his soul rest in peace) to the extent that he thought he was a demigod. Mind you, they hero-worshiped him and made him a cult hero but no one called them names. But they are free to call me names - Botswana is a free country - under the BDP. Batswana let us give Ian Khama a chance. He will deliver. He is a born leader.

Anthony Wabuya Chebani
Francistown East Constituency Office
FRANCISTOWN