We can in frustration ignore his ever-increasing populist stunts and hope that the great majority of our level-minded population see the stunts for what they are - a calculated appeal to the ordinary people to see him as the messiah. Or we can keep talking, condemning such actions with the hope that somehow Khama will eventually see sense. To that end, we condemn in no uncertain terms Khama's behaviour during his visit to Lobatse over the weekend. In what could have been a choreographed scene, the president gave a resident some money - P500 to be exact. The woman, clad in her nightgowns told of how she had not been paid because she was on strike. She agreed with the president that people should not have gone on strike. The president replied that: "A ke zero-zero... ba go bolaile". (So you have zero balance...they did not do you any favour)" before giving the woman money. We will give Khama the benefit of the doubt. The man is benevolent and did what he did, not to spite the unions, or endear himself to people, but out of the goodness of his heart. If he is as benevolent as he wants people to believe, we should see such generosity for everyone who went on strike. We doubt anything of the sort will happen though. At the time Khama became president, he enjoyed a lot of goodwill. He came up with poverty eradication programmes and talked about moral regeneration and fighting corruption. He has now and then portrayed MPs, especially those from his own BDP as selfish. Much of the goodwill came from the ordinary citizens. And it was solidified by his down-to-earth approach. He would pick a scrawny child here and walk around with him or her. He would ride a bicycle through Old Naledi or make a surprise visit to Tsholofelo Location and leave the residents in awe. Sadly, these actions, good as they may appear, are what almost always precede an exclusionary and repressive regime. Previously, many have warned that the president's apparently generous attitude is nothing but posturing.
But then, the stage-managers fail to appreciate that the image that they want the public to see may simply be repulsive and yes, counter-productive. Last week, it was a Francistown woman in BDP colours wailing at the sight of Khama. Then there was a skimpily dressed woman who in her untied robe could have jumped from bed crying out to the president. She rubbishes the unions. They have brought her only misery. Khama concurs - not in word but in deed. By giving the woman money, he is telling her and the nation that he is a good parent who forgives his children who having been chastised agree to repent! Even if it was not the intention, the message passed is clear: the nation must realise that unions can only mess people's lives. That women are used in all these posturing is in itself sad. It debases the women-folk.
