Bots: Gov�t For A Person, By A Person

Monitor Editor | Monday April 10, 2017 11:51

This is profound under the administration of former army strongman, Lieutenant General Seretse Khama Ian Khama.

Government for a person by a person is a brilliant summation of Khama’s administration. Since joining politics from the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) some 19 years ago, Khama changed the rule of the game. He was allowed to fly BDF choppers despite not being a soldier.

In response the then President Festus Mogae responded that he was the one who allowed him to fly the BDF choppers.

An opposition Botswana Congress Party (BCP) took the matter with the Office of the Ombudsman. The late Ombudsman, Lethebe Maine ruled that it was wrong for Khama to fly the army choppers. But the retired general spit on the Ombudsman’s findings and continued with his hobby.

This was a biggest test to the independence of the Ombudsman and it was proved that this office is a toothless bulldog.

It has been widely reported that the President Pension and Gratuity has been amended to include a helicopter, boat and top of the range vehicles and Parliament last Thursday rubberstamped this greed that was proposed by the Minister in the Presidency Eric Molale during the All-Party Caucus. Now former Heads of State would be allowed to seek employment elsewhere if their age permit.

In exchange, the Caucus agreed that all legislators would get four percent salary increase and a whopping 40% increment of their constituency allowance. Little did the MPs know that a Bill intended to increase their salaries and allowances was gazetted on that day.

They have to wait for 30 days before they can debate the issue. That is the calibre of some of our legislators. Sometimes they are just like Khama: birds of same feathers.

We are often told that the economy is not doing well when public servants want salary increment that they deserve. But that is not the case when it comes to Khama.

What Khama demands, Khama gets. The just passed Presidents’ Pension and Retirement Benefits Amendment Bill No. 22 of 2016 is a case in point.

The man is a vulture and only thinks about his own comfort. What have we done to deserve this? How much do we owe General Khama? It is high time Khama stops behaving like Botswana is his own backyard garden.