Reconciliation talks excite Batswana

The Monitor Editor | Tuesday February 7, 2023 16:38

Many have made it very clear that there is nothing more they would prefer than seeing the two ending their feud and working together for the good of the country.

While some Batswana dismissed reconciliatory efforts as a political ploy, many Batswana welcomed the move with open arms because it is obvious that the feud between the president and former president has not been looking good for the country.

The misunderstanding that seems to have started in 2018, seemed to escalate as the months went by. Many across the political divide felt that it was indeed time for peace between the two men.

Amongst some of the entities that were not too happy about the bickering between the current president and former president were trade unions as they were always vocal about the feud.

The Botswana Federation of Trade Unions (BFTU) and Botswana Federation of Public, Private and Parastatal Sector Unions (BOFEPUSU) have commended Masisi's reconciliation efforts with former president Khama. Both unions have cited the fact that their feud has dented the democratic credentials of the country.

While many Batswana are pinning their hopes on the success of the reconciliation process, many others also mind that reconciliation efforts may fail before they even take off. Some people believe that President Masisi decided to announce that he wants to reconcile with the former president to sway the people of Shoshong, who are believed to be amongst former president Khama's strongest supporters.

Further, others argue that election year is around the corner and the announcement was just a strategy to quell the anger from those that believe the former president is being mistreated.

It remains to be seen whether the two men will ultimately smoke the peace pipe. But we as Batswana are hopeful that the two parties will come to the table in good faith without any hidden agendas.

It is also promising that the former president gave a positive response to the suggestion from the President to rather pursue peace than war. Too much energy has gone towards this feud and while it may not be easy to put in monetary value what the country might have lost as a result of the war of words between the two, the country has experienced unquantifiable losses. The war of words put the spotlight on our country for the wrong reasons and the back and forth could have hurt our reputation as a country, which in turn could have affected so many businesses that depend on tourists entering the country in large numbers. Fingers crossed the two leaders will sort out their issues!