Dear Quett

Kgosietsile Ngakaagae | Monday August 16, 2021 06:00

When you became President, I was only five. And boy, you were such a parent. We loved you.

Your administration educated me, Sir. I became a man, because I was in your very good hands. You had your mistakes, and some, you have acknowledged. I remember that you once manhandled a journalist.

But you were humane enough to reconcile with him, and find understanding. You were never cynical, and remained humble, even at the height of your power. Again, you erred on that De Beers bailout, but you acknowledged the mistake and apologised for it. For that, you continued to command our respect.

And we trusted that those that came after you would use your example as the standard, and aim for better. They have not yet built a statue for you, but I think you deserve it. At least they named a hospital after you, and it saved my life. That was last year. I, digress, Sir.

It is not my intention to disturb your rest, Sir. You deserve it all, after your tireless service. It is just that I have looked around, and there was no one to talk to. The current guys say one cannot meet their President, unless they praise him. I have been criticising his leadership, honestly and out of best intentions. I really have no chance.

Feel free to share this letter with your predecessor. He would also be interested. Besides, his son is causing government a lot of trouble, too. They are persecuting him and accusing him of all kinds of things, but they aren’t bringing him to court.

Instead they are attacking those around him, as a way of hurting his legacy and his feelings. It is so brazenly, personal. I don’t agree with their approach, Sir and I don’t think you would. I just believe a man who has committed a crime must be prosecuted.

He should not be persecuted, like they are doing with him. But hey, he is giving them a hell of a fight. I wish they could smoke the peace pipe in the national interest so we return to the dignified politics, we knew under your care, but the situation seems beyond redemption.

Sir, there is trouble in your country. Botswana is not nice, anymore. Only love holds us to our beautiful country. Your people are dying, Sir. Corruption is also at all time high, and nothing is working. I am not going to blame anyone, Sir. I just want to report things just as they are. There is fear in the land.

There is, too much grief in the streets; too much anger, distrust, much death, and uncertainty. We are burying our loved ones by the dozen. We are leading the world in COVID-19 infection rates. Forget that we have one of the lowest population densities anywhere.

Forget that when the pandemic hit us, we had the most cash. Back in the days when you were President, we were the envy of virtually, all African nations. Yourself, and your successor, now in retirement, took us through one of the most horrid pandemics of our time. As I write, we are nearly a basket case. COVID-19, is killing us. We are told that our present leaders are doing their best.

Sadly, they are just achieving the exact opposite. By the way, all the wealth you left behind, is gone. It has been devoured. The trouble Sir, is that our leaders don’t eat small. They eat even the plates, knives and forks. And they don’t really care. At the rate we are going, there will soon be civil strife resulting from despondency.

By the way, I just lost a dear sister. Greet her on my behalf. She died, because that hospital, named after you, had challenges with the supply of oxygen. By the way, she isn’t an odd case. Hundreds have died over the past month because government couldn’t supply them with oxygen, and their families are grieving. Your people, are hurting. This would never have happened under you.

Our friends, the Americans, have been a bit distant. It has not been their choice really. The current administration, hurt their feelings. They discarded them for the east. So they sat back, and watched the game unfold. Our new friends, the Chinese, gave us a few does which we finished very quickly.

So did the Indians, the now first citizens of our country. It is only now that the Americans are feeling pity for us and coming to our aid, with vaccines. We have paid heavily for jilting them for a one night stand, and we have ourselves to blame. To be sure the hurt started long ago. Once, they sponsored a presidential debate. I think it was in the run up to the 2014, elections.

We publicly embarrassed them. Even where they help us, we don’t acknowledge their efforts very well. We have treated them like trash and they have not been happy. I am simply saying that our foreign policy is also in disarray, too. It is not looking good, Sir. We are, going down.

I know you are in heaven. Find a way of interceding for us, Sir. It is really bad.