Interrogate the international ratings

| Thursday June 20, 2013 00:00

As the revolutionary youth wing, we want to make it categorically clear that the 2012 African Leadership Index's finding is not only a pathetic shame to those who compiled the report, but also an insult to the workers and the poor peasants who are the most oppressed and exploited classes under Ian Khama's leadership. Instead of poking their noses in our country's political affairs, the BNFYL serves an appeal to these pseudo-Kenyan analysts to help president Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto, to find a final solution to crimes against humanity charges laid against them by the International Criminal Court (ICC). It is disheartening for them to describe Khama as the best performing leader in the continent at this juncture when the ruling political party is violating the fundamental human rights of the country's citizens with impunity. Botswana is facing high rates of unemployment and poverty, especially among the youth.

These foreigners probably need to be told that despite being one of the countries with the fastest - growing economies in the world, the country's economic growth is not creating jobs for the thousands of young Botswana citizens. The most affected demographic groups are school leavers and tertiary institution graduates. In short, there are less jobs in the country than are needed to meet demand which grows every year. Whether the BDP political parrots and puppets believe it or not, the reality is  that our country's education system has dismally failed to respond to the existing inter-generation gap. Under the BDP led government the educational policy merely produces individuals whose services do not reflect economic trends on the job market. We do not need an angel from heaven to come and tell us that Botswana is one of the most inequitable and poverty-stricken in the world.

The BNFYL is also unhappy about thousands of our working people who are still living in overcrowded unhygienic conditions in SHHA houses. Shockingly, Khama's administration is completely silent on how it intends tackling this problem. The Botswana Housing Corporation (BHC) which was originally supposed to build houses for the people has become a real estate agency. The corporation is now busy building houses which are not even affordable by the country's under-paid workers or the majority of urban residents who are living in abject poverty. The recent forceful removal of Batswana from Ranyane settlement by the neo-colonial and imperialist BDP government has brought into sharp focus on Khama's autocratic leadership approach.

It boggles the mind to note here that under the government of the day Basarwa constitute one of the most oppressed and marginalised communities in the country. For the BNFYL's political observation, this tribe's integration into the mainstream of national development has to be very carefully calculated, planned and sensitive to their specific conditions and needs.  Lastly, we challenge the authors of the 2012 African Leadership Index to come clean and tell Batswana the methodology they used to grade Ian Khama as the best African performing leader when the country is faced with high unemployment, spiraling crime, poor delivery of service, incessant reports about corruption, incompetence and growing concerns that civil liberties such as freedom of expression are under threat. Another concern is that since Khama ascended the country's presidency in 2008, the BDP has increased its power base through the state machinery such as the military institution, the police intelligence structures, the judiciary and the state media.

The BNFYL is also wondering why with 12 of 57 parliamentary seats plus  four BDP nominated parliamentarians, is the conservative and pro-capitalist ruling party has tended to use its majority to roughshod over minority concerns? Its proposals for parliamentary question time effectively undermine the opposition political parties' ability to hold the presidency of Khama and his cabinet to account.

Malatsi MokhubamiBNFYL- Secretary for Information and Publicity Gaborone