08 Sep 2019

Botswana as a democracy should be located within the democratic realm in the context of how the rest of the world defines democracy to be.

This was said by Reverend Bishop Enole Ditsheko during the launch of his book titles Wrestlng Botswana from Khama, in Gaborone recently.

Rev. Bishop Enole Ditsheko said the reality was that Botswana existed and that the people of Botswana knew they existed from the stories crafted by those that came before them and told across generations.

“Exercise of power by some over others continued to assert beliefs of who we are, and who we should continue to see ourselves as being. Looking ourselves in the mirror in 2019 and seeking truth from texts and conduct by some should yield us a new definition of who we are and should be. 

Reality doesn’t allow us to remain stuck in the past when transformation is taking root,” he said.

Rev. Ditsheko said the book was attempting to arrive at the reality that existed outside perceptions.

He said since Botswana was a “We must seek answers on who has told our tale as a democracy, for how long and why that trajectory dominated our belief? Who have been the dominant forces and why? After this long time do we continue holding so ever dearly that our reality is what it was 50 years ago, 100 years ago or even 200 years ago, take for example the mention of Khama. It is not just a proper name but one of untold influence and power. But in 2019 shouldn’t Botswana’s reality be viewed against the lenses of democracy versus monarchy. Are we afraid to step out of the feudalistic convenience of promoting one family over the rest of us, whereas we hold ourselves out as democratic republic, or should we embrace the reality that we are a kingdom at another level?” he asked rhetorically.

Rev. Ditsheko explained that his book makes an attempt to rediscover the reality away from the conventional theories that had stood the test of time. He said it was a story told from an unpopular vantage point and a journalistic polemic that made a compelling case that Botswana and her democracy existed outside the Khama family.

He said the book anchored on qualitative research across a section of the population on how Batswana in the 21st century, view the reality of Botswana and themselves against this single powerful family.

“The narrative is not entirely about Kgosi Ian Khama, he is undoubtedly a major character, but so are others who have and continue to shape our reality as we see, know and believe it. The tale recounts our reality across segments of Botswana to include the three arms of government, the fourth estate, the church, civil society, Bogosi institution and ordinary citizens,” he said.

Renowned historian and author Dr Jeff Ramsay said open and vigorous debate was the fuel that fired and sustained any democracy.

“The book’s thesis may be summarized as follows, that for many years post-colonial Botswana benefitted from the nurturing of its good governance traditions of tolerance and mutual respect, internal and external peace, public policy making through consultation, and qualities openness, balance and compromise, along with relatively low levels of corruption,” he said.

Dr Ramsay said over the past decade or so there had been regression which according to the author’s view rests largely with the personalized rule of Botswana’s fourth president. 

He said from this assumption arose the affirmation that Botswana must somehow wrestle its direction back from former president Khama’s legacy.

He said there were some who might fundamentally agree that Botswana had faltered in recent years from the progressive path that was forged during the time of founding presidents but remained unconvinced about the capacity or commitment of the current administration and the ruling political party to return Botswana to a higher plane. He said such cynics might find insights if not validation in the new book.

 Dr Ramsay applauded Rev Ditsheko for goading the nation to candidly question where it had been and we it needed to go. Ends