When Khama doesn�t care, even about the US
Ntibinyane Ntibinyane | Friday August 8, 2014 13:53
Khama indifference towards international meets unhealthy Botswana, one of the few African countries revered for being a shining example of democracy and economic success, is the only country that did not attend the United States–Africa Economic Summit in Washington this week.
This is of no surprise seeing that since coming into power six years ago Khama has avoided attending some of the most, if not all, crucial international meetings.
Among such meetings are the African Union debates on the indictment of Sudan President Omar Al Bashir and the suspension of the trial of Kenyan leaders Uhuru Kenyatta and others by the International Criminal Court on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
It was an opportune time for the President to articulate his belief in democracy, rule of law, and human rights with other heads of state from the African continent at presidential level.
He did not do so.
Instead, the President opted to release written and verbal statements condemning the AU stating how all accused persons should face the long arm of the law from the comforts of his office in Botswana.
He may be right to condemn human rights abuses, but he should have also manned up enough to look his opponents in the face, while they absorbed his criticism and dissenting voice.
This probably is the reason why Khama is strongly against facing his opponents, even right here at home where he has refused to participate in presidential debates.
He did the same thing during the 2009 general elections, and roped in his hear-no-evil members who have resolved not to participate in the debates organised by local radio station, Gabz fm, in the run-up to the October polls.
Unfortunately, others within the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) wished they could have been allowed to participate, but blindly followed his instructions to not attend.
Khama has not bothered to attend United Nations and African Union general assemblies. From where he stands this is justified.
In an interview with South African financial publication, Business Day, in 2013 Khama dismissed the Union General Assembly meetings as nothing but wasteful and worthless ‘talk shops’.
Another reason why the President is not attending these events could be lack of interest in what such leaders discuss, such as job creation and human rights development.
This has opened all sorts of speculation about him. These include assumptions that he does not want a majority of Batswana to be economically empowered, as they would be independent of government handouts and may start questioning some decisions.
The other belief is that Khama views the country as a family heirloom to inherit and therefore does not want to see the private sector growing to the extent of being a strong alternative employer.
In fact, in different parts of the world, strong economies are measured by the performance of their private sectors.
Others believe there is a racist element in the President’s attitude and stay away’.
For instance there is a belief that after his father Sir Seretse Khama died the President might have been subjected to racial indoctrination by his mother, Ruth Khama. The belief suggests that Lady Khama inculcated in her first-born son that when he takes over, he should make sure that Batswana remain as backward as he possibly can, to make them loyal to his government.
This theory may be the reason why Khama has plenty of time to distribute blankets, diphaphatha, soup and other short-term solutions that include Ipelegeng as a source of employment.
A parliamentarian once said, “The president seems comfortable sitting around the bonfire with old men in rural areas, distributing food hampers and blankets, and behaving like King, or Father Christmas”.
Khama is grossly misled if he believes that the UN General Assembly meetings are just a talk shop. The costs of refusing to attend these high profile international meetings and seminars may prove to be detrimental to the country in the long run, international relations experts have observed.
Heads of state meet privately at these meetings, discuss issues of mutual interest, trade and investment opportunities, and others.
However, his erstwhile minister of presidential affairs and public administration, Mokgweetsi Masisi, has defended him saying the Khama balances such international assignments with his wish to interact with the citizenry.
Responding to numerous parliamentary questions during the 10th Parliament, he has insisted that he was satisfied with his boss’s performance on international assignments.
Masisi might have been wrong. The latest snub is yet another clear example of Khama’s refusal to be part of the international community as it demonstrates his lack on interest in such.
When he was attending the 2008 Tokyo International Conference on Africa (TICAD), in Yokohama, the then Vice President Mompati Merafhe met with the Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda.
Fukuda held separate meetings with heads of state, and he shared critical information then, that some policies of the International Monetary Fund are the reason why Africa’s economy is stagnant.
Although the meeting was brief, the mere fact that it took place meant a lot for the welfare of Batswana. It is uncommon for a leader of the second biggest economy to meet with a senior representative of a small country from one of the world’s poorest continents.
The first ever US-Africa Summit for African heads of state was an opportunity not to be missed for the simple reason that the US is the world’s biggest economy or superpower. Of the 53 African countries, the United States government invited 50 to the summit.
Botswana sent the outgoing minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation, Phandu Skelemani, who has not performed very well over the last four years while at the helm of the country’s diplomatic arm.
Without good relations with the rest of Africa, SADC included, Botswana seems to be an isolated, arrogant and megalomaniac state. While it is common knowledge that Khama met US President Barack Obama in November 2011 that cannot be justification for him to miss the US-Africa Summit.
Undermining Botswana US relations
According to an international relations commentator in a local institution, Khama’s no-show at the summit shows that he is undermining the diplomatic relations between the two countries. Botswana and the United States of America are worlds apart in terms of development and population.
“How do you send a minister to a heads of state summit when there are no commitments baring you from attending such gathering?” asked the expert who preferred to remain anonymous.
In any case others agree that Skelemani is not empowered by law to make any decisions or commitments on behalf of the country. In fact, the US government may not even recognise the participation of Botswana in that summit. During the meeting, the African heads of state had the opportunity to engage Obama on controversial issues such as the ongoing war between Israel and Palestinians, energy shortage in Africa that has not sparred Botswana, Foreign Direct Investment and others.
According to the South Africa media, President Jacob Zuma told Obama to his face that his government is not happy with the US approach to the Israel-Palestine conflict. Zuma also argued in Washington on Monday that Obama could have done more for the African continent, especially because of being of African descent.
“This has made him tread very carefully and I think that is a reality.
I believe he could have done more, but I think he was always aware of this fact and therefore he has navigated that situation very well,” Zuma was quoted in the media after a National Press Club (NPC) luncheon.
Can Skelemani engage Obama? It is highly unlikely. Again, it is not his place to engage the US President for reasons being that they are not in the same level. In fact, diplomatic conventions do not permit him to even think about it. Meeting Obama is not only a photo-opportunity, it is more than that in the world of international relations where leaders are judged by their actions and their engagements with their counterparts.
In this situation the Botswana government, which we may soon find struggling to provide Anti-retroviral drugs for its AIDS-infected population should be seizing any opportunity to find funding for such drugs.
Is it not what former President Festus Mogae did when he noticed that his people were dying in large numbers because of the disease?
According to the White House the three-day summit which ended on Wednesday advances the US government’s focus on, “trade and investment in Africa and highlights America’s commitment to Africa’s security, its democratic development and its people”.
During the conference Obama announced that US companies have pledged $14billion (P126 billion) of investment in areas such as energy and infrastructure, areas of interest for Botswana and its people.