Khama overcomes the language struggle

FRANCISTOWN: President Ian Khama might be struggling with the well-documented dwindling fortunes of the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), but he will vacate office in 2018 a happy man. When Khama retired from the military where he was commander of the Botswana Defence Force, to join politics in 1998, his Setswana portrayed him as a man struggling with his father’s tongue. He struggled to communicate in the vernacular making him the country’s first ever Motswana vice president to not speak his home language. Unfortunately, Khama was brought into office by his predecessor and former president Festus Mogae to secure his presidency, at a time when the party was being torn apart by factionalism.

The late South African political consultant and professor, Lawrence Schlemmer had recommended Khama as a man capable of bringing the BDP together.