It does not require much intelligence to figure out that a corrupt relationship existed between the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) and De Beers. It is also not far-fetched that there are other companies in the same relationship, if not worse, with the BDP as an organisation and its leaders in their personal capacities. I am also still to be convinced that only a few individuals in the BDP leadership knew of such underhand dealings. My take is that the corruption has been institutionalised, otherwise, high-ranking as well as ordinary members should have smelled a rat.
It is time former president Masire tells Batswana exactly what happened, where, how and by whom. He owes it to this country to reveal all those involved in this scandal that the civil society has been crying foul over, only to be dismissed as power-hungry, opportunistic, jealous and unpatriotic. Many people, both within and outside the BDP have been frustrated in their efforts to bring to surface the deals that Botswana is party to, and in some cases careers immediately cut short. Some have been relegated to poverty and sabotage in their quest to make a living after termination of employment from the civil service, to the extent that the only way to survive and get on track, is to apologise and demonstrate loyalty to the BDP. This is a sad state of affairs for a country so regarded as the beacon of hope in Africa. The movie Blood Diamond uses the term TIG- meaning "This is Africa" to refer to the hopeless state that is Africa.
