Being white cannot make you European, President Ian Khama

It is surprising to find out that President Seretse Khama Ian Khama, the President of Botswana, has failed to appreciate that his white skin pigmentation would never change him to being a European man nevertheless trying to sound like one. He should realise that his British connection through his mother who was British, should not make him sell out his pan Africanism and forgets that Africa is bigger than his mentality.

 Mr. Seretse Khama Ian Khama's assertion that election that were held in Zimbabwe on July 31, 2013 were not free and fair and that an audit should be done to unearth some irregularities that allegedly characterized those elections show that he is trying to create news where it is not necessary. The Zimbabwean harmonized elections were peacefully held and international observer missions that thronged the country concluded that elections were free and fair. So Mr. Khama should realise that his white skin pigmentation should not lead him to sell out all issues associated with Pan Africanism in support of his mother's background. It is surprising and disturbing to find out that an African leader like him could denounce what other African countries have agreed upon for the sake of pleasing the white community.

For President Ian Khama to question the integrity and objectivity of the SADC election observer mission and those of other international electoral observer missions that declared the Zimbabwean harmonized, July 31, 2013 elections as free and peaceful shows that he has lost touch with the reality. He should realise that SADC has about fifteen countries including Botswana which contributed officials in that electoral observer mission, who were in the country before, during and after elections were held.

The SADC electoral observer mission had officials throughout the country who wanted to have first hand information on all issues which were taking place before, during and even after elections were held hence they had clear information on what really transpired throughout the country on those days. The electoral observer mission produced a detailed report on elections results and how they were carried out, as it was crafted skillfully using all issues which took place pre, during and after elections.

As such, the SADC electoral observer mission's conclusion that elections were free and fair, was a clear reflection of what really transpired in Zimbabwe not what President Ian Khama want the world to believe him. So for President Ian Khama to disregard such an effort by the SADC electoral observer mission in Zimbabwe shows that he has lost touch with reality. President Ian Khama, who became, the President of Botswana, as recognition by the Botswana authorities, of him being the son of the founding President of that country, should not insult the African intelligence as a means of him of trying to satisfy his British uncles. He was not elected into that office so his knowledge of democracy will remain a mirage until such time when elected into office. So, Mr. Ian Khama should realise that the SADC region is bigger than Botswana and that his views could not be taken as that from the SADC region. He is just a mere leader of a country within SADC which cannot tell the SADC region what to do. The best he can do is to realise that pleasing the British will not make Botswana be part and parcel of the European Union(EU) but will remain like what it is with its Kalahari Desert and its one million and eight hundred population (1,8m). He should first make sure that the Bushmen in his country are taken care of before he sees what other countries are doing. These people must be given breathing space as they are the real original people of that country than him trying to be a good person in the face of the western countries. Mr. Khama should first solve the problems that the Bushmen are currently facing before trying to make news where it is not necessary.

The problem which Botswana is facing is that the pan-Africanism which the country used to embrace during its formative years has gone under the drain with the coming in of President Ian Khama who bulldozed his way to that highest position because of being the son of the founding President of Botswana, Sir Seretse Khama. Mr. Ian Khama who is the nephew of the British set up finds himself trying to serve two masters at the same time as a result putting, himself under pressure. While he is the President of an African country, denouncing what his uncles (British) are doing to Zimbabwe of imposing illegal sanctions becomes hard. On the other hand he also wants to make sure that his uncles are supported in Africa and that is why he always wants to go against what African countries normally agree upon.
How an African leader with his clear conscience could want to sound like European every time when issues dealing with African issues are being dealt with? It is really surprising. In October last year, all African countries agreed that no African president should be brought before the International Criminal Court(ICC) while still in office but Botswana through her British-linked President Ian Khama thinks otherwise. President Ian Khama thinks that African leaders should be brought before that court even if they are still serving presidents as waiting for them to leave or retire from office would be too late. Ian Khama thinks that being a president should not stop one from not being brought before that court. What a strange belief from an African leader?

Well, that is his views anywhere, that, a serving African president should also be brought before the ICC to answer for his charges which he/she would be facing. But surprisingly, for Mr. Ian Khama, he is silent over what should Western countries' leaders should face when in a similar situations with that of African leaders. He always sees bad things done by African leaders but silent on what should be done on western leaders who do bad things on innocent people. Mr. Ian Khama is silent on what should be done to George W Bush and Tony Blair the former leaders of America and Britain, respectively, who caused deaths of innocent people in Iraq when they jointly invaded that country claiming that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destructions. The two former leaders are staying scot-free but Ian Khama is silent over what the two should face. He is a hypocritical person.

The fact that Mr. Ian Khama does not like to denounce anything wrong done by western countries and rushes to denounce anything which he perceives bad done by African countries shows that his white skin pigmentation is betraying his pan Africanism. Such a dilemma emanating from him needs African leaders to teach him the importance of him being African. He must be told that being white will never change him to become European, hence, he should realise that there is nowhere he could change what African leaders had agreed upon in October, 2013, as a means for him to please his uncles. He must realise that Botswana when it comes to African context, is like a drop in an ocean hence whatever he says would not change what the SADC and the African Union had agreed upon.

When SADC declared that elections in Zimbabwe were credible it was done after a careful and close assessment of what really transpired and it is the as same with when the AU resolved that no African sitting president should be brought before the ICC, it was done with a reason. So for an individual like President Khama to come out openly and trying to reverse what was agreed upon by African leaders, when he was part and parcel of that decision shows that that leader is suffering from lack of reality and seems to be confused. It clearly points to the fact that some of the African leaders, still lack confidence in their dealings, hence, need hand handling for them to realise their potential.

So Mr. Seretse Khama Ian Khama should realise that he is African not European and stand guided by African principles and guidelines on matters of pan Africanism.

Mukachana Hanyani, a social and political commentator who can be contacted at mhanyani@yahoo.com