I lived in Botswana during most of the 90s. In 1998, the President, Sir Ketumile Masire, announced his retirement and went on a tour of towns and villages throughout the country to speak directly with people. I happened to be in a rural village with a student group when the President came for a visit, and he sat for hours behind a table …
I lived in Botswana during most of the 90s. In 1998, the President, Sir Ketumile Masire, announced his retirement and went on a tour of towns and villages throughout the country to speak directly with people. I happened to be in a rural village with a student group when the President came for a visit, and he sat for hours behind a table with his head bowed down a bit as a bunch of men and women stepped up to the microphone and gave him direct and often passionate feedback. I was afraid Pres. Masire wasn’t paying attention because his head was down and he didn’t move while people were speaking, but then he finally stood up with a well-worn notebook in his hand and began responding to each of the speakers by name, answering their questions if he could, and if he couldn’t, directing his secretary to get various government ministers and members of Parliament to directly contact them within the week. Masire even asked for and wrote down the people’s contact information, and gave them his secretary’s phone number to call if they hadn’t received an answer within a reasonable amount of time or had any follow-up questions. He and his wife then sat in folding chairs in the middle of the crowd of people and everyone ate lunch and talked. I didn’t sit near Pres. Masire during lunch, but I often heard his famously booming laugh over the next hour.
And Botswana is a shithole country? Can you imagine Trump leaving office with such respect, humility, and dignity?
Ironic that the crude asswipe in the White House that used that indecorous term has actually turned the United States into a shithole country in just 4 years. Europe won't let us visit any more.
This is a wonderful recount of your experience. Over the years, Biden has done much the same when he engages with people. It's not for show, I don't believe. He really cares.
what a wonderful story of your experience. therein lies a simple truth that a nation should not be judged by its shiny cars and tall buildings but by the heart of its people and the love that they give. it is time that we use more contemporary and non material measures to judge a country's progress not what nation building economists determined about 60 years ago and that we still employ mindlessly like GDP...
I lived in Botswana during most of the 90s. In 1998, the President, Sir Ketumile Masire, announced his retirement and went on a tour of towns and villages throughout the country to speak directly with people. I happened to be in a rural village with a student group when the President came for a visit, and he sat for hours behind a table with his head bowed down a bit as a bunch of men and women stepped up to the microphone and gave him direct and often passionate feedback. I was afraid Pres. Masire wasn’t paying attention because his head was down and he didn’t move while people were speaking, but then he finally stood up with a well-worn notebook in his hand and began responding to each of the speakers by name, answering their questions if he could, and if he couldn’t, directing his secretary to get various government ministers and members of Parliament to directly contact them within the week. Masire even asked for and wrote down the people’s contact information, and gave them his secretary’s phone number to call if they hadn’t received an answer within a reasonable amount of time or had any follow-up questions. He and his wife then sat in folding chairs in the middle of the crowd of people and everyone ate lunch and talked. I didn’t sit near Pres. Masire during lunch, but I often heard his famously booming laugh over the next hour.
And Botswana is a shithole country? Can you imagine Trump leaving office with such respect, humility, and dignity?
Ironic that the crude asswipe in the White House that used that indecorous term has actually turned the United States into a shithole country in just 4 years. Europe won't let us visit any more.
This is a wonderful recount of your experience. Over the years, Biden has done much the same when he engages with people. It's not for show, I don't believe. He really cares.
What an amazing story of concerned leadership and humility. Thank you for sharing it with us.
what a wonderful story of your experience. therein lies a simple truth that a nation should not be judged by its shiny cars and tall buildings but by the heart of its people and the love that they give. it is time that we use more contemporary and non material measures to judge a country's progress not what nation building economists determined about 60 years ago and that we still employ mindlessly like GDP...