The visit of President Seretse Khama Ian Khama to the United States of America was timely and crucial.  Khama deserved a rare meeting with the most powerful man in global politics today, Mr. Barack Obama, the US president.
The importance of such an encounter lies in that Khama represents a country that conducts regular peaceful elections – thanks to the existence of a responsible opposition.  The visit gave Obama an opportunity to warn Khama against the deterioration of civil liberties and the rule of law in Botswana. One hopes that Obama is not deceived by the right noises frequently made by Khama to the international audience. When one examines his actions one could easily detect that what he says in public and what he does are diametrically opposite. Khama’s position on the leadership of Zimbabwe and Sudan is hypocritical because he is following on the footsteps of such leaders before their countries became failed states. Under Khama the media, Parliament and the judiciary are under threat. Following the swift passage of Zimbabwean type Media Practitioners Act, the tight control of the state media, which has recently been made a department in the Office of the President, and the absence of freedom of information law, the free flow of information is seriously compromised. Parliament has been reduced to a rubber stamp as the decisions of the ruling party parliamentary caucus are binding to the legislature. President Khama has also done the unthinkable when he rejected three judges recommended for appointment to the High Court by an independent Judicial Services Commission. Given his affinity to former military men, one can suspect that Khama intends to militarize the Bench as he has done with other critical state agencies. Khama is presiding over an intelligence service that is terrorising innocent people. Since the existence of the Directorate of Intelligence Services (DISS), extra-judicial killings are not uncommon in Botswana. Foreigners are frequently deported without due process of the law for “insulting” the President. In Botswana it is a serious crime to say that the ‘President looks like a San or Bushman’ as if Botswana practises a caste system. If Khama fails to change his ways of running the country it will not be long before he is dragged before the International Criminal Court (ICC) to face charges of state sponsored killings.Khama’s administration continues to persecute the Gana ad Gwi (Bushmen) of Central Kgalagadi Game Reserve (CKGR). It is worth noting that previous United States Department of State reports on human rights on Botswana have condemned the failure by the government of Botswana to provide water to CKGR returnees.Khama has just presided over an election that failed both regional and international standards of fairness. Thousands of voters were disenfranchised by an Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) that is no different from other sister bodies in Kenya and Zimbabwe that are virtually controlled by ruling parties led cunning dictators. We expected President Obama to say all the niceties about Botswana in public. However, in their private interactions it would be a betrayal to the people of Botswana if Obama failed to tell Khama to stop the Mugabenization of the country and to disband a militia group that is masquerading as an intelligence service outfit.
Kesitegile Gobotswang (PhD)
BCP Deputy Leader