Botswana is the pride of Africa

By Zechariah Manyok Biar

July 7, 2009 — Botswana is consistent in its opposition to African Union’s (AU) position against the indictment of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir by the International Criminal Court (ICC). It is reported that the Vice President of Botswana Mompati Merafhe criticized the AU for failing Africa. Mr. Merafhe criticized the AU for failing Africa because AU does not put its priorities right. Mr. Merafhe makes it clear that Africa will never have a functional unity among its member countries and peoples if it does not know what its priorities are.

The Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi is among the leaders in Africa who lack understanding of what important priorities are for Africa. It is difficult for me to find coherent policies of Muammar Gaddafi. His interest is to have a united Africa for the sake of having it, or maybe he wants Africa to become a united strong enemy of countries who push leaders like Gaddafi and Bashir into what they do not want to hear, even if what they do not want to hear is a serious violation of human rights.

Muammar Gaddafi seems to be dictating African Union. The Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni is always reported to oppose Mr. Gaddafi’s rushed united Africa. Botswana’s Vice President Merafhe seems to agree with Museveni when he said, “The chair [Gaddafi] has no respect for established procedures and processes of the African Union and this may be motivated by his burning desire to coerce everyone into the premature establishment of an African Union government” (Sudan Tribune, July 7, 2009).

Mr. Gaddafi does not seem to understand the technicalities of uniting a diverse continent like Africa. He just wants African leaders to comply with his decisions. This might be one of the reasons why he tries to shield President Bashir of Sudan from ICC so that African leaders can respect him (Gaddafi) as their defender. Mr. Gaddafi does not understand that a respected leader is the one who respects human rights and the rule of law and always stands with his or her people against oppressors.

Botswana has shown itself to be the pride of Africa when it comes to good governance and the respect for the rule of law as its Vice President put it: “Until we can all appreciate what democracy, rule of law, respect for fellow Africans and the dignity of others mean in practice, Africa has a very long way to go.”

The Vice President of Botswana is not talking about theories here; he is saying what his country practices. We know that Botswana has maintained its position among the top ten less corrupt countries in Africa for years. Some less corrupt countries in Africa, however, are less corrupt for different reasons, not necessarily good governance. These reasons include religious values that have nothing to do with good governance and the respect for the rule of law. Botswana is less corrupt for the reasons that the Vice President has outlined above.

Botswana has clearly manifested its good governance by refusing to associate itself with atrocities committed in Darfur under the leadership of President Bashir that African leaders now blindly support against ICC. Botswana understands that ethics is more important than blind politics. Even though Botswana is a very small country that cannot stand against Libya or Sudan, it chose not to submit to the coercion of dictators. Botswana, unlike other African countries, chose to stand with the suffering innocent people in Darfur and not with President Bashir and his friend Gaddafi. Botswana is treating the people of Darfur as the end in themselves, not as the means for an end, as many African leaders are now doing.

Leaders like Jacob Zuma of South Africa wanted the lovers of human rights to stand with black South Africans during the apartheid era, but now he has forgotten all that in less than twenty years of South Africans’ freedom. Zuma does not understand that the Darfuris feel pain like the South Africans under the apartheid oppressive government. There is something wrong with our African leaders.

We in South Sudan must learn Botswana’s style of governance. We must not associate ourselves with easy forgetful South Africans. South Africa had made Africa proud under the leadership of former President Nelson Mandela and former Archbishop Desmond Tutu when they preached that forgiveness was more important than revenge. Mandela and Tutu understood that innocent people are always innocent, whether they are from the side of your enemy or from your own side. Botswana understands this principle now, but South Africa under Zuma has lost its moral position. Sad!

Unless African Union learns good governance from Botswana, it will remain as a club of dictators who have no plan for the advancement of Africa. Justice is not a choice in good governance, it is a must.

Zechariah Manyok Biar is a graduate student at Abilene Christian University, Texas, USA. He is pursuing a Master of Arts in Christian Ministry and a Master of Science in Social Work, specializing in Administration and Planning. He is a regular contributor to The New Sudan Vision website. For comments, contact him at email: [email protected]