Masisi carves late coming name
Following a series of concerns over the late coming of President Mokgweetsi Masisi, his predecessor, a well-known time keeper Ian Khama says Masisi’s late coming is a new phenomenon. Khama labels Masisi’s actions as disrespectful and inconsiderate. Opposition leaders also have slammed Masisi for late coming. Legislators, invited guests and the general public had to wait for almost an hour before Masisi could arrive to deliver the State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday. While the reasons for the delayed speech were not advanced, fingers were pointed at the president for his late coming, which has been going on ever since he ascended to the presidency. National Assembly Speaker Phandu Skelemani announced at 2.30pm that Masisi would be arriving at 2.40pm. But the President only started making his speech after 3pm. In the president’s defense, Parliament spokesperson Silas Sehularo maintains that there was no late start of the SONA. “The programme has guided that SONA event shall start at 1400hrs. This included the sequence of events starting from the arrival of guests, the commencement of Parliament where the proclamation for the start of the 1st Meeting of the 4th Session of the 12th Parliament was read, delivery of SONA until the end when Parliament was later adjourned for the day. As guided by the programme, SONA has been delivered within the confines of the stipulated times. Parliament proceedings started at 14:00 as scheduled on the indicative programme,” he highlighted. It was not the first time that the President has kept people waiting with his predecessor having accused him of being late on the day he took over the presidency. Another key date of President’s late coming was noted in November 2019 when he was late for the SONA then.
On yet another matter, Masisi who was scheduled to arrive at the Tsabong Unified School for the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) event at 7.25am for the official opening of the party’s elective congress in August arrived at the venue at 9am, almost a couple of hours late. In the same month in Bobonong where the party held a congress for the National Youth Executive Committee (NYEC), Masisi was at least two hours late, keeping members waiting for his arrival.
A story on The Monitor newspaper about Masisi’s late coming then was rebutted by the party. “Factually, that is not true, the delay was due to the ongoing process of registration and accreditation. The late registration process delays is something we have truly taken stock of and going forward, we will make sure we respect the rule of time by doing everything well ahead of time. Unfortunately, due to this, we couldn’t bring His Excellency, Dr Masisi until all delegates were fully accredited and in the hall. Let me also urge our valued media stakeholders to always put effort in balancing their stories and seeking facts before trying to push a negative narrative to sell copies, particularly about the President,” BDP chairperson for Communications and International Relations Kagelelo Kentse wrote.
‘Masisi was never late as VP’
Former president Khama has in the past told the media that Masisi kept him waiting on April 1, 2018 as he was to pass the presidency baton to him. Besides that, Khama says Masisi always kept time as Vice President. “He always kept time as VP because he had to as I insisted on it. I had hoped the importance of showing common courtesy would be appreciated going forward. There are many things he has abandoned with the sole purpose to distance himself from me. Time keeping is just one of them,” Khama told this publication this week.
Khama also said he was always punctual because he knew it to be very disrespectful and inconsiderate to keep people waiting.
“In a democracy, people are supreme over any individual or any position. I knew it was necessary to demonstrate this through example. I maintained that punctuality, which I still abide by, due to self discipline and out of respect for others. Constant late coming does not enhance your status or importance. It only diminishes it. No one is bigger or more important than the nation, nor our culture, nor our God who teaches us to love and respect one another,” he said.
Opposition MPs not impressed
Leader of Opposition (LoO) and Selebi-Phikwe West legislator Dithapelo Keorapetse is one of those who are not amused by the State President’s ways. “It is obscenely annoying. I have not attended any event in which he arrived on time. We are always waiting for him. He has to come out public about what’s causing these delays, otherwise we think he is just too arrogant and takes everyone else for granted. He seldom if ever apologises for his late coming. It is wrong,” he said.
Maun West legislator and former LoO Dumelang Saleshando expressed his displeasure at the president’s habit on his Facebook page.
“When Parliament convened yesterday, Speaker Skelemani innocently announced the time that the President was scheduled to address the nation. Dignitaries had to endure a long waiting period with the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) Guard of Honour standing still in the blazing sun for the coming late President. The President was nowhere to be seen at the expected time of arrival.
Earlier this year, when the President and Cabinet had a retreat in Maun, I was invited to attend a meeting where the President was scheduled to address the business community. The President arrived more than an hour late for the meeting,” Saleshando lamented. He further stated that he hoped someone in the inner circle would gather the courage to address the President on the importance of time keeping. Saleshando further quoted American author Joy Fowler’s words, “Arriving late is a way of saying that your own time is more valuable than the time of the person who waited for you.”
Meanwhile Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) legislator and Chief Whip Liakat Kablay shied away from the question. “I have not realised if the president is always late. I will start observing. But during SONA, the Speaker announced that the President would arrive at 2:40pm and we cannot say he was late,” he said. Meanwhile an effort to get a comment from those close to the Presidency proved futile. Government spokesperson John Thomas-Dipowe referred enquiries from this publication to the President’s Private Secretary Ompatile Setlhabi stating that he spends most of the time in the office and not traveling. Setlhabi would not field the questions and referred the publication to the Press Secretary to the President Masego Mosate. Mosate referred the publication back to Setlhabi. Setlhabi was yet to respond by press time.