‘ I am a General, also a Diplomat’
Morake intends to take a leaf from the good work ethic of the Japanese
Former Botswana Defence Force Deputy Commander, now Ambassador designate to Japan, Major General Gotsileene Morake, will take up his substantive post in two weeks’ time.
Morake who retired his position in February paid a courtesy call to President Dr. Mokgweetsi Masisi on Tuesday as it is standard practice. In a way, this move ended speculation triggered by his retirement in February that he is the chosen one to replace the long serving career Ambassador Nkoloi Nkoloi who is now home.
Speaking openly with the media, Morake said one of his priority areas is to engage on one of the greatest strengths of this Asian country, their work ethic. “I am more interested in their attitude towards the way they value blue collar work, the way they value the human being as the most important assets for transformation of the economy.”
Morake emphasized the importance of collaboration in areas of research which in turn will enable the transformation of Botswana’s economy from a resource based to a knowledge based economy. The retired general after 38 years of service said he is not worried about his changing roles and going into diplomatic area because the moment one becomes a general in the military, they are also a diplomat. “You cross that civil military divide and you overlap into military and the diplomatic world. As part of the training that I received in the military, I have been to different colleges such as Staff War. I am a holder of Masters Degree in International Relations which for all intents and purposes is foreign related. The job of the military is to interact with the outside world, and mostly to make peace and if all fails to engage in warfare. But, essentially as a General I am also a diplomat.” “I have been tasked to go to that area and promote our national interest, top amongst them is attraction of Foreign Direct Investment into Botswana. I understand the capabilities of countries like Japan, South Korea even Thailand have, they are fast growing countries. I think most important is to understand the work ethic of those countries, especially that one of the greatest setbacks in Botswana is the poor work ethic,” he said. He believes he
needs to understand how those countries managed to get where they are today. His view is that development is not question of resources, but a question of people converting what they have into value.
Morake said in his view, Botswana’s main selling point is her democratic values and the fact that the country is peaceful, and does not have contradictions with many countries which he is going to interact with. Morake said once one resumes the position of an ambassador, he gets a brief from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “This is where you are made to understand Botswana’s position on many issues. The ministry has already given guidance. First Botswana has sovereign position guided by our values,” Morake said, adding that currently, the Ministry is in the process of drafting a Foreign Policy. He further said Botswana is also aligned to the position of SADC, the African Union on many issues.
Morake’s core military occupational specialty was infantry. General Morake has profound knowledge on Defence Strategy and Strategic Management, Operations and International Relations among others. In addition to English, he is proficient in French and Portuguese. He has a deep understanding of regional and global economy, politics and security issues. His profile shows that he has commanded infantry battalions, held senior staff appointments including as director of operations and training. He established and was appointed the first Commandant of the Defence Command and Staff College, which is a degree awarding institute affiliated to the University of Botswana. He also commanded the BDF Ground Forces and was later appointed the Director General Support Services which is responsible for overall Defense Acquisition and Programmes. He was then appointed Director General Defense Staff responsible for the coordination of the General Staff of the BDF headquarters. He has carried out several assignment of note including; leading the BDF team assigned to train the Mozambique military; participation in the United Nations Peacekeeping Operation in Somalia, directing joint and combined multi- national exercises. Operating in and interacting with a multi- national environment that has equipped him with skills and versatility to interact with and appreciate people of diverse cultures and interests.