Khama's statue turns west
Thursday, March 20, 2008
The clerk of Parliament, Ernest Mpofu, has said it is the wish of the political leaders that the statue should face Parliament. "It is normal practice in other countries that statues of leaders face Parliament buildings," explained Mpofu.
He said he does not recall any time the public was consulted when the National Museum did something with a national monument. Mpofu pointed out that the cleaning and moving of the statue is part of a larger project as government is currently engaged in developing what is going to be called Parliament Square.
While it is widely acknowledged that Khama holds the title of Kgosi, the government’s failure to properly gazette his recognition has raised serious concerns about adherence to legal procedures and the credibility of traditional leadership. (See a story elsewhere in this newspaper.) Recent court documents by the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Kgotla Autlwetse, shed light on the intricacies of Khama’s recognition process....