Embracing change

Boitumelo Maswabi
PRESIDENT ELECT: Duma Boko

Batswana possess a unique quality that seems rare in some parts of the Mother Continent and the world at large. We relate to one another with a brotherly and sisterly spirit, even amidst our bickering and disagreements.

At our core, we remain peace-loving, valuing harmony and community over conflict.

This enduring sense of kinship allows us to navigate our differences while still cherishing our shared identity, making our society resilient in the face of challenges.

I credit this change of government to God first, as I’ve observed something truly remarkable: for the first time in our history, we have a president-elect who openly reveres the Almighty.

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This sincerity has not only won many souls to the kingdom of Yah but has also ignited a wave of revival across the country.

Batswana have a strong Christian foundation, and I’m witnessing a renewed sense of purpose, which I hope will prevail as we embark on this transformative journey.

Over the past year and a half, the Lord revealed to me glimpses of what lay ahead in dreams and visions, often in subtle yet profound ways.

This divine guidance filled me with hope.

In the last week, in particular, I have felt privileged to celebrate this historic moment beforehand, especially after the vision I had Monday night.

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Victory was in plain sight. While I don’t expect everyone to grasp the things of the spirit, there are certainly kindred spirits who will.

President-elect Duma Gideon Boko’s closing remarks during last week Thursday’s presidential debate were truly Holy Spirit-led.

He spoke of the love of God and humanity, two of the cardinal commandments from the Good Book.

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In that moment, he embodied the fruit of the spirit by assuring his predecessor that he would neither persecute nor prosecute him, contrasting with the treatment of Kgosi ya Bangwato, Seretse Khama Ian Khama by the former president.

This spirit of forgiveness is what we need as we move forward as a nation.

In the main, he lectured his audience on the principle of human rights as the guiding framework for justice and equality, yet, regrettably, that message seemed to soar over the heads of his detractors, who had gotten so comfortable in their impertinence.

These are the very double standards I spoke of in 2019, as though some, and not others, have the right to insult. But the ‘red machine’ would hear nor see no evil, which brings me to my next point.

Ask yourself, what damage can a few members of a society really cause on a people when they go unchecked in the manner some Madomi trolls had gotten?

They were indeed unrestrained, to be candid their attitudes antipathetic.

Not surprisingly, though, as their leader was just as contemptuous.

This is the definition of ‘hubris’. In his book titled ‘The Hubris Syndrome’, David Owen posits, “A hubristic act was one in which a powerful figure, puffed up with overweening pride and self-confidence, treated others with insolence and contempt.”

President Masisi had grown too condescending, at times downright disrespectful.

The first president to serve just one term, I predicted in 2022 that he would fall out of favour with Batswana, who value humility.

And here we are. I am not surprised. Early this year, in April, I saw in a vision, MEK looking rueful and defeated, with his face buried in the palm of his hand.

The Bible says pride cometh before the fall, and we have many real-life examples. Owen further posits, “Very often, the medical profession may be unable to discover any cause of this behaviour but will nonetheless regard it as constituting a mental illness…

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It will not be easy to diagnose, for the individual affected can appear completely normal in their social life…hubristic behaviour is systemic, a product of the environment in which the head of government operates.

On the other hand, this hubristic build-up gives the impression that it has become self-generating, that the individual is gripped by something which is no longer driven by outside factors but comes from within themselves.”

There are too many blunders to list here but take for example the president’s pension/retirement package that his Minister for State President, Kabo Morwaeng, attempted to sneak in.

This clearly demonstrates narcissistic behaviour. Moreover, I still struggle to understand this past regime’s urge to splurge during such tough economic times, but then again, as already noted, sufferers of hubris are usually reckless, lack sound judgement, are impulsive and unrealistic.

Be that as it may, in the last 5 weeks, Voice Woman sort to amplify the voices of women parliamentary candidates.

Of the 27 hopefuls, at least 2 of the Umbrella for Democratic Change women candidates won: Maipelo Mophuting of Gaborone Bonnington North, and Ellen Pushie Manyeneng of Metsimotlhabe-Mmopane, as well as Botswana Congres Party’s Kgatleng West candidate, Unity Dow.

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