the monitor

Sudden, unexplained outbreak of integrity

Most politicians do not know how to operate the machinery required to step down in the midst of corruption allegations. A minister voluntary quitting over a scandal wasn't just a political development—it was a terrifying violation of the natural order.

It honestly broke the simulation. We all know the sacred, unwritten laws of physics: gravity keeps us on the ground, the sun rises in the east and a politician caught in a massive scandal doubles down, blames an ‘unfortunate clerical error,’ hires a crisis PR firm, and angrily clings to their leather office chair like a startled monkey hugging an acacia tree mid-chainsaw sweep. That is the natural order of things. That is the ecosystem we understand. Instead, the minister just signed the letter and walked out the front door. It felt wrong. Unnatural. Creepy. Like watching a lion suddenly decide to go vegan, or a cat politely asking to be put on a leash. We are not used to ministers just resigning on their own accord. It sends a chill right down the spine of the nation.

People were looking around, genuinely surprised like a Mogoditshane Route 3 driver had just handed back exact change with zero attitude and a polite bow. You don’t just casually violate the ancient tenets of political shamelessness like that. Where was the three-week media duck-and-cover campaign? Where was the defensive press conference where they blame the opposition, the weather and a rogue intern? Where was the stubborn refusal to leave until the President personally had to send in a tactical team with a crowbar to pry their fingers off the oak desk? The public didn't even know how to react. We were all standing there with our knives out, completely disoriented, muttering, ‘Wait... we didn't even get to use our best jibes yet? You're just... leaving?’ It sets a dangerous precedent.

Editor's Comment
Exercise extra caution!

Unfortunately, petty thieves tend to be more vicious around this time as they also prepare for the festive season. Culturally, many Batswana go home for the holiday, and petty thieves are amongst those who go home. Burglaries, car break-ins, and attacks on unsuspecting pedestrians seem to be on the rise!That is not all, as scammers continue to take money from pensioners as well as other Batswana who may fall prey to their unscrupulous tactics....

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