The meet-and-greet session with Botswana Defence Force (BDF) Commander Placid Segokgo and his counterpart Botswana Police Service (BPS) Commissioner Dinah Marathe on Sunday gave Boko assurance of the control of the crucial security organs that he direly needed for the duration of his presidency. Taking the oath of allegiance to the President, means Boko and his government are assured of the backing of the security organs in times of need. The two security organs moved early to declare their unshaken loyalty to the new regime and their willingness to serve and defend the new President and government.
One of the chief functions of the army and the police is to uphold and defend the Constitution against all possible threats, foreign and domestic. For the military to take the oath of loyalty to the President, it brings a sense of security and completeness to the President to enlist the support of the pillars of his government. In a closed-door meeting at the Office of the President yesterday, former president Mokgweetsi Masisi handed the team that he ran his government with to the new guard. Masisi had, however, indicated in an earlier open session that it was diametrically incumbent upon Boko to choose to continue with them or decide to come up with his new team. Boko was quick to declare that 'merit' would be the criterion that would determine how he would move forward with a team that served his predecessor.
His continued interaction with various players in his government will go a long way into cementing his power as the face of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) -led government. University of Botswana (UB) senior lecturer in Sociology, Dr Sethunya Mosime said yesterday that after listening to the Boko-Masisi meeting, she said President Boko wasn’t clear whether he would crack the whip as some people think or not. “He (Boko) was otherwise, clear that meritocracy will rule the decisions of his government. And as some top civil servants are still gripped by fear of losing their jobs, he indicated that meritocracy will help him in his decision-making,” she said and emphasised that the President indicated that through the people’s skills, competencies and others, one doesn’t have to be his friend to be retained or not. Quizzed about the meaning of the meetings of the President with the security chiefs and top civil servants, University of Botswana (UB) lecturer in political and administrative studies Adam Mfundisi said: “I can confirm that, it is a constitutional requirement for service chiefs and the public service leadership to meet the President after assuming the highest office in the land.” Mfundisi, who is a UB-based public policy analyst, indicated that the President as per the Constitution of Botswana is the sole Executive.
He added: “In that context, he is designated as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. This in essence refers to the Botswana Defence Force but conventionally it embodies all other security and defence forces. For example, the Directorate of Intelligence and Security, the BPS, and the Prisons Service are part of the security architecture in Botswana.” All the defence and security apparatus have to pledge their allegiance to the new or incoming President. They must take an oath to show their loyalty, allegiance, and defence of the President and the country. All these security allegiances cement Boko's grip on power. They are the pillars of presidential authority and power.
