Oh what a State funeral!

That rare sight deserves heartfelt praise, not only for President Duma Boko and his administration, but also for the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), the Mogae family, and the entire country.

President Boko’s decision to grant a full state funeral to a man who belonged to a rival party was a mark of true statesmanship. He recognised that national leadership carries a weight that belongs to the whole republic, not to one political camp. In doing so, he demonstrated the very democratic maturity he later praised in Mogae. His administration executed the arrangements with solemnity and grace, giving the former president the send-off a grateful nation owed him.