Of President Masisi and his business dealings
Correspondent | Friday June 19, 2020 14:29
And no, I am not talking of the question of who is the ‘citizen’ who is going to be empowered. Here I am referring to the incestuous relationship between business and politics. Where do we draw the line? That is the million-pula question.
Recently, I caught snippets of an interview between the very able veteran journalist Kealeboga Dihutso (he is going to hate me for calling him a veteran) and the presidential spokesperson, Batlhalefi Leagajang.
The interview dealt with reports that the President Mokgweetsi Masisi was in business with one of Botswana’s most influential businessmen; the CEO of Choppies. The snippets were telling of how the relationship manifested. There was an air of tone deafness, condescension and arrogance about Leagajang. As he answered I was reminded of Sean Spicer and Sarah Huckabee-Sanders doing their spin doctoring of the US President Donald Trump.
The debate whether presidents or more broadly elected officials and those who hold offices of public trust should be in business where a conflict may arise is as old as the advent of the democracy experiments itself.
If memory serves me well, in one of the early writing that would birth what is now a representative democracy, it was argued that those who assumed leadership should be the ones whose concern was public good with no private interests of their own. This idealism was to take away conflict of interest away from governance. It sought to have a form of representative democracy that was unadulterated by private interest.
What Mr Leagajang missed in his interview with Mr Dihutso was not whether it was legal for the President to hold business interests and be in business with whomever he so chooses. The point of the interview had more to do with the optics of it all considering our economic dynamics in the country. His Excellency Masisi is not being singled out; this question pre-dates him and shall continue to beleaguer experts on governance for centuries to come. The same was asked of Festus Mogae and Ian Khama over their business interests. The optics of it all has been the main concern as confidence in political leadership often goes beyond legality but perception.
While legally the President may be free to do business with whomever he so chooses, from a PR perceptive some business dealings may be problematic. They call into question his commitment, for example, to be a champion for citizen empowerment and to combat corruption.
It need not be true but the optics always have more sway than the reality. Of late Choppies, which is under the stewardship of and owned in part by his business partner, was awarded a lucrative tender to distribute old age pension.
Questions hve risen as to whether the tender was awarded in accordance with the PPADB Act or political pressure was at the core of the award. Whether it is true or not the optics are all wrong.
We could go on and on detailing how the optics of any Presidents’ dealings were and are wrong. What is needed is for the presidency to acknowledge the pickle it finds itself in and do whatever is possible to build public confidence in the presidency to rise above private interest.
One of the most important moves, which is long overdue, is to enact a comprehensive declaration of assets and interests’ law for all people holding office of public trust. While our current laws do not require such disclosures, the President for his own sake should make a public disclosure of his assets and interests for the nation to see. This goes along with his professed ‘commitment’ to running a transparent government and he needs to be seen as being transparent in his person first.
Another important move that the President, should undertake, after making disclosures of course, is to set up a blind trust to manage his private dealings for the duration of his presidency. This goes a long way to building public trust. Lastly, I would urge the President to divest in business relationships that bring into question his ability to deliver his promises. This is not about legality but about public trust and optics. Using the Citizen Economic Empowerment debate as an example and the question over who will benefit, the public pulse posits that non-indigenous Batswana are the intended beneficiaries. His business relationship with Choppies CEO, Ramachandran Ottapathu is bad for optics and building public confidence in the proposed law. This here is the reality of it all.
Whether people holding positions of trust should be in business has never been about legality, it is about the optics. Perceptions matter in building confidence around these people and public institutions and it is those who hold such that can cleanse them.
The President has a responsibility to rid the presidency of the stench of perceived corruption and other negative connotations attaching thereto. He has to do so as a matter of urgency. He has at his disposal the power to influence law and policy. He has the ability to rise beyond rhetoric and take a lead even in the absence of any legislation or policy.
THABO SHATHO NLEBGWA*
*Thabo Shatho Nlebgwa (LLB.UB) is a blogger and podcast host.