I believe what you are about to read is not deserving to be coming from a lowly commoner from Goo-Tshisi ward. This was definitely a responsibility for Ditimamodimo. I was hoping maybe my elders, bo Rre Titus Mbuya, from whom I inherited this big responsibility would send a more senior missive. But since no one stepped forward, I have taken this mighty responsibility to pen you yet another letter. I must be honest and tell you that this letter was triggered by what happened on your birthday this year. But I will be getting ahead of myself if I start with the events of a couple of weeks ago. Let me go back nine months from now. Allow me to tell you what everyone has been avoiding to tell you. Phuti, your party has lost power. After 58 years of Domi’nation, the once-mighty Domkrag has been reduced to a minority in Parliament. Edison’s son, who entered the 2024 General Election with unshakable confidence, became the first one-term president.
To his credit, he conceded gracefully, which is a rare sight in Africa and that earned him great admiration from the victors. By the time the final votes were tallied, he had already called the President-Elect to congratulate him and even invited the media to witness the peaceful handover at the Office of the President. Dr Kenneth Koma’s party, Botswana National Front (BNF), has finally led a coalition that defeated Domkrag. Puo-Phaa was joined together by two of BDP’s splinter parties and the old Botswana People’s Party (BPP), (yes, it is still alive) and formed the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC). The coalition is headed by the BNF president, a flamboyant young man from Mahalapye, Duma Gideon Boko (who insists on being called 'My Boy'). Now, you might be wondering: Has your beloved republic fallen into the hands of Pamphlet No.1 educated communists from Dr Koma’s study groups with safari suits and Chairman Mao hats? Not quite. It doesn’t seem like we got commies in power. The new President is a Harvard-trained human rights advocate who is considered a social democrat. He has long killed that BNF monkey of the old seforanta ideology that modelled the party as a peasant movement with leaders donning modest clothes to be different from the opulent Capitalists. The President is always looking dapper and elegant like those pompous Ngwato men – dikwete.
