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Nkwa must surely be the last surviving member of the National Independence Assembly of 1966 having won the Northeast constituency for the People's Party and with Matante (Francistown) and Motlhagodi (Mochudi) being the only three members of the opposition. It was an unprecedented gesture in the postcolonial history of this country. But to get the true meaning of the visit, it is necessary to place it in its proper context. Obviously, this country has lost its way. Spelling the detail is depressing in itself.
Every day we hear about those who have the opportunity to put their dirty fingers in the crate. Once, the amounts stolen rose to hundreds. This has quickly become thousands, then millions and any day now, it is bound to billions. Two authorities suggested that the government enclave in Gaborone be, like a crime scene, sealed with yellow tape. It sounds like a sick joke. There is skepticism about the integrity of elected and appointed government leaders. Who is clean, who is not? This sinister scenario is perceived as characterized by sleaze, greed, loss of integrity and division, all unmeasurable perceptions. In the past, there was some respect among the leaders of the different parties, although the BDP made few attempts to hide its contempt for the BNF. But never before has a deputy been physically expelled from the National Assembly and thrown out like a bag of rotten potatoes. This is the step that we have now reached. Yesterday, before the money from diamonds corrupted the political arena, election candidates had to be generous in their alcoholic refreshments offerings. It was at best a risky, almost innocent way to gain support. Today, political support is achieved with cash payments and offers a whole range of goodies. It is a dismal, disappointing scenario, which can only happen because those with money know that most of us are potentially for sale. But today, it is not so that we see such things.
The end justifies the means, so we believe. But the BDP would be a much better party and the country a much better country was something other than money as a way to get support.
But when this step on the slippery downward slope was taken, money and greed replace integrity. values and norms and large scale theft become a routine. It may be possible to exaggerate the magnitude of this change, but it should also be borne in mind that younger generations have never known anything else, nothing better or a country that was not so divided politically, financially and socially. I wonder if the visitors of Nkwa had the idea to ask him if he foresaw that the country of 1966 could become the kind of country he is nowadays? Looking back, is he proud or simply dismayed? Perhaps he could speculate that, given the current situation, the opposition will do well to pick up as much as the three constituencies it won in 1966. If that turns out to be the case, the plethora opposition parties established since 1966, the BNF, the BMD, the BAM, the PA, the BCP, the BPU, the BNU and all the rest will have only brought us back to our beginnings . Given the almost inevitable decline of the BDP election, it is astonishing that the opposition, whatever its name, was so unfit and so incapable of getting enough support to overthrow the BDP
. , gesture from time to time by the new president who, unplanned, pulls us, for the moment, out of the dirt and gives us back a sense of unity, decency, cleanliness and hope. The president could have used the visit to Nkhwa to promote his personal image and gain political ground. In inviting ex-president Mogae and Dan Kwelagobe to accompany him, he ensured that the visit was not considered an act of self-promotion.
Instead, it could only be understood as a gesture of thanks from the country. founding fathers of the country. It's exceptionally generous and welcome. Is it going to be an exception? Or could it be an indication of a new approach?
But let me move on to another very different subject – the SADC. I wonder how many of us have an idea of what that does? The dead windows of his office building in Gaborone do not tell us anything. His anonymity suggests that he could house the DIS.
When, for the man in the street, will he vent to the open air? Why is there still no SADC defense mechanism sufficiently coherent to dispose of the current notions that each of the SADC states is preparing to attack the next one?
When will there be a SADC agency that allows young volunteers to work in another country? and know something? When will the SADC begin to think of the need to sell, to promote a sense of inter-country identity, perhaps an annual festival of SADC arts and culture that will take place in a different country each year?
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