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(TALKZIMBABWE) Botswana leadership singing for supper

Botswana leadership singing for supper
Panganayi Chitimbe - Opinion
Wed, 03 Dec 2008 05:11:00 +0000

DEAR EDITOR - The ongoing political clash between Zimbabwe and Botswana should be put in its right context. It pays to criticize Mugabe. Both Botswana and Kenya have benefitted tremendously from criticizing their own 'brother'. This is the power of the dollar, the U.S. dollar.

I could not care much about Kenya. There is a Prime Minister who always seems to suggest the impossible to get aid for his country, like sending troops into Zimbabwe.

Kenya's 5 million children face starvation even though the country is a favored ally of the U.S. Kenya's coalition is also on the brink of a breakup, so there's not much to learn from that loose coalition brokered by one "Elder" who attempted to get into Zimbabwe recently.

Botswana, our neighbour and long-time ally is the interesting case study. Besides suggesting the blindingly impossible, like shutting borders when their electricity passes through Zimbabwe, the country seems to have a bunch of misguided leaders in government as well.

Zimbabwean media has gone madly in love with these leaders from Botswana who always threaten action, but do very little. The least they can do, which is symbolic in any case, is for example to deport Caeasar Zvayi or offer Tsvangirai passage to go to the West. That does nothing for the Zimbabwean people. South Africa today is hands-on working with the U.N. and the government of Zimbabwe to reduce the effects of cholera in Zimbabwe. That is what concerned countries do, not the gesture politics of Botswana.

Anyway, Botswana is singing for supper and the leadership in that country has been corrupted by the US dollar. Everytime America makes a donation, that country issues a statement about Zimbabwe.

"Together, the people of Botswana and the American people have shown that strong partnerships enable ordinary people to do extraordinary things," said U.S. Ambassador to Botswana, Stephen Nolan recently. Indeed ordinary people like Foreign Minister, Skelemani indeed say extra-ordinary things. To suggest that borders should be closed by Zimbabwe's neighbours and aid airlifted into the country is one of the most illogical statements to come from such a high-level office.

Botswana has not managed to bring aid into Zimbabwe when the borders are open, how will they do it when they are closed? The only aid we have seen from that country is to MDC-T leader, Morgan Tsvangirai.

Many people who watched the BBC HardTalk interview would have cringed from such a nonsensical and impractical suggestion. It works with activists, but means nothing in real terms. Why have they not implemented that threat so far? They have every opportunity to do so.

That country should never, for one minute, think that Zimbabwe is an extension of their country. They should resolve the Bushmen crisis first before they tell Zimbabwe what to do. They can sell their soul for a dollar. Zimbabweans will never do that! We will never sacrifice our soul for the US dollar.

We are a more resilient nation, that fought the white settlers for a very long time and seen many protracted conflicts before.

Botswana can team up with desperate reporters outside Zimbabwe who are also singing for supper, who look for any negative story coming out of Zimbabwe to improve their income, or get a scholarship.

One thing I can remind all these individuals who spread this negativity about Zimbabwe is that when Zimbabwe gets back to normality, their stories will be on record.

As for Botswana, we await real action, not these idle threats that guarantee you more aid! We also urge Mr Ian Khama to win an election first, before he criticises other presidents for being illegitimate. He was neither elected nor endorsed by the Tswana people. He was "ordained to presidency" by former president Festus Mogae, his close ally and current adviser.

Panganayi Chitimbe
Writing from Namibia where he lectures philosophy at a state institution.

Labels: BOTSWANA, COLOUR REVOLUTIONS, KENYA, NEOCOLONIALISM

posted by MrK @ 7:57 PM