We remember that President Festus Mogae was the first beneficiary of this lousy law. BDP debated retiring President Masire, who was vying for the unenviable record of Life Presidency in Africa, at the time held, if my memory serves me right, by President Kamuzu Banda of Malawi. The "Young Turks," (which the BDP, conservative though it is, throws up now and then), led by the likes of Jacob Nkate, pressured Masire, to call it quits, after 18 years of uninterrupted leadership at the helm of the BDP and the nation. Sir Ketumile tried to resist this impetuous demand by these "misguided" young radicals.
The political straws in the wind were unfavourable to Domkrag at the time.BDP had just received a wake-up call in the 1994 General elections. The monolithic BDP had been severely dented by losing 10 more seats to the opposition. BNF had increased its seats by a whopping 333 percent, from three to thirteen. Naturally the BNF was elated and the ruling party was reeling. Several BDP strongholds, besides, had been marginalised. Needless to say, panic ensued in the BDP ranks; the radicals were emboldened to demand drastic changes within the Domi echelons. The demand was reinforced by the Pretoria University Professor who work-shopped Domi's tribulations and concluded that the party needed an overhaul to create a new image in strategy and leadership.
President Masire despite these chilling facts, decided to drive a hard bargain: If he exited, his favourite Gontebanye Mogae, had to step into his shoes automatically. Second, he demanded a retirement package befitting an ex-President of a diamond-rich state. After some haggling, the BDP reformers conceded both demands. These concessions made in Domi's boardrooms, were tabled in Parliament for endorsement on behalf of the nation. The high pitch of the BDP chorus, which still ruled Parliament, drowned the opposition's spirited noise. The outrageous demands passed; automatic succession and the obscene Presidential package became law.
Unbeknown to Masire, his successor, Mogae, was not bound to appoint a successor in his image. President Masire and his predecessor had set a precedent, which on the face of it, precluded General Khama from being the second beneficiary of this regressive law.
Whether Khama was reluctant to join politics or whether he was deliberately taking advantage of the political space opening before his greedy eyes, he made, what reflectively, looks like cocking a snook at the principle of the rule of law, basically relating to a kgosi joining politics. Bathoen had to relinquish his bogosi before standing for Parliament on BNF ticket Other preconditions for quitting his army position as commander, was that he continue flying army helicopters, even as civilian.
Botswana democracy was badly compromised by Domi leaders in the course of tidying up their party's factional mess. In the "hilarious debate" on the Daily Grind, callers, penelists and the moderators, missed or overlooked the point, that in the process of becoming Vice President, Khama violated the rule of law. He deliberately sought exemption from a legal precedent and set an illegal precedent by the precondition of flying army helicopters in breach of the letter and spirit of the BDF Act! The fact that he had to set the two preconditions, proves beyond any reasonable doubt, that he was aware, he was manipulating the law.
Fully-fledged democrats, appreciate that where there is no observance of the rule of law, there is no democracy. Dictators resent established rule of law; they prefer to promulgate their own; they will trash constitutions or anything that deny them latitude to indulge their warped desires. The reason why they succeed, is due to toadies - a curse to all human societies - who surround them. The lily-livered, who cringe instead of speaking out when they ought to, because they fear repercussions, are also to blame. The aloof - who think what dictators do or may do, will not affect them - also promote dictatorship.. They must be reminded of Pastor Niemollar's words uttered in the aftermath of Hitler's Third Reich.:
"When they came for the trade unionists, I said I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the communists and I said I was not a communist. Then they came for the Catholics and I said I was not a Catholic. Next they came for the Jews and I said I was not a Jew. Then they came for me and there was nobody left to speak!"
It is the toadies, the lily-livered, the political aloof, who breed the personality cult, the seed of dictatorship from time immemorial.
In decent society, in which democracy is considered a model, all games are played according to rules. Those who flout the rules are called "cheats!" Vice President Ian Khama and accomplice, Festus Mogae are political cheats, in plain language! If Khama did not respect the rule of law when he joined politics, why do we think he will do otherwise, when he is in a stronger position to manipulate the law to his heart's content, with his toadies energised to shepherd every lamb into the kraal, the lily-livered and the aloof, cowed, irrevocably? Why does our democratic society, tolerate cheats, by imagining that their compassion or benevolence will make up for the important principle of the rule of law?
I found the debate hilarious, because I was personally "dissected" albeit amateurishly .Like a cartoon portrait, it makes one laugh at oneself. It is democracy. Second, I found it hilarious because callers missed the point that explicitly painted the man as a "power monger" on the basis of his route to power. The accumulation of all the power levers that exist in our society - bogosi, military and executive presidency! Hilarious. We seem to be blindfolded.
