The Country’s Second in Command

One of the biggest responsibilities of the President is to select a very good Vice President. The Vice President helps the President fly the government plane so to say. He/She has to be good at communicating with the President in an open way that would bring value to his/her administration. So, far we hope the re-appointment of Lt General Mompati Merafhe will bring results. Lets hope when the President Lt Gen Seretse Khama Ian Khama made this appointment of his former boss at the army knowing very well that their stint together 18 months leading to the elections wasn’t so successful.

Up to now, Lt Gen Mompati Merafhe has had a successful career first as a policeman rising from the rank of constable to assistant commissioner of the police in a record of eleven years. When Botswana started the army in 1977, he was made its first commander with a rank of Major General. He helped steer the boat during troubled times like the attack of Botswana Soldiers by Rhodesian(now Zimbabwe) forces in 1977 when they were ambushed in Lesoma. He was also at the helm during the South African Apartheid agents attack in Gaborone in 1986. He then left the Army in 1989 for politics. He was appointed presidential affairs and public administration minister. He later found his real calling at Foreign Relations and International Cooperation – where he became Botswana’s chief diplomat.

His biggest triumph as the Chief Diplomat came when he led a successful delegation to the Hague in the Netherlands over Sedudu Island in the Chobe District as Botswana & Namibia were at loggerheads over the Island. Both countries had mobilised forces and war looked imminent in the horizon. He showed how diplomatic he can be after the International Court awarded the Island to Botswana when he said, “Nobody has lost. What has won is our ability as Batswana and Namibians to resolve our differences peacefully.”

Now that he has been re-appointed as the country second senior citizen, we just have to hope that this is a good appointment. His first appointment was a bit of a disaster as he failed to do a good job but we always hope that people learn from their mistakes. This, however, is a big vote of confidence on him. The President tasked him with employment creation and poverty eradication strategy which will be coordinated from the Office of the President and to ensure the maximisation of the impact of various programmes and policies that are aimed at bringing dignity to those living in poverty. He brings invaluable experience having been in politics for 20 years or so and having spent more that half of those as a minister.