President Mokgweetsi Masisi went on a charm offensive Wednesday afternoon at the Mass Media Complex by holding his first press conference as head of state with both private and public media, which was a significant departure from his reclusive predecessor Former President Lieutenant General Seretse Khama Ian Khama, whose disdain for press and dialogue is well documented.
Khama preferred talking to the western media and shunned interviews with indigenous journalists preferring instead to talk to anointed proteges who followed a carefully choreographed script.
“There will be many more come,” charged Mokgweetsi Masisi, who has been helm for 59 days. He said, “We are committed to being an accountable government. We will do our best to be as accountable as we can.”
Masisi claimed that there were negative perceptions around consumption of alcohol, human/wildlife conflict and the creation of jobs. He stressed the importance of transparency and consultations with both technocratic and subject matter specialists as well as the general public.
Masisi who stressed his commitment to country’s national principles talked about the importance of decisions based on objective empirical data.
“We do so because there is a hunger for us to do it. It is not our intention to malign but to have an ideal open and democratic society,” said Masisi.
Masisi denied media reports saying he had clipped Khama’s wings by curtailing privileges and cutting down the number of personnel available to him for official use and those deployed at Mosu. He stressed that former Presidents enjoyed privileges entrenched in constitution.
He also indicated that he had reversed an executive decision to declare human rights lawyer Joao Carlos Salbany, a prohibited immigrant saying it was an administrative oversight. Masisi revealed he was looking at long list of issues and would carefully deliberate before taking decisions.
“Each one will be looked at on its merits,” said Masisi who arrived with a full cabinet in tow. A packed Mass media complex was a buzz of activity as Ministers reluctantly talked to the local media.
Masis voiced his determination to further develop creative industry and entertainment in general saying there was a need to create safe spaces for enjoyment and pleasure.
“We will alter hours of places where people are being entertained,” said Masisi. He said, “We will represent citizens of this country. They come first.”
Masisi echoed his commitment to making game farming profitable and tweaking ISPAAD. He insisted that he wanted to remain relevant and did not care about the colour of peoples skin.
“If you are a Motswana it does not matter what the shade of your skin,” charged Masisi, when asked to say what he would do to uplift blacks who despite over 50 years of independence still did not have a significant stake in the economic livelihood of the country.
Masisi stressed that the minute you ascribe race, gender or ethnicity you stroke unrest. He said that anybody who injured somebody irrespective of their orientation was precipitating retaliatory actions from law enforcement officials.
He appeared to be talking about use of the death penalty used recently and not about liberalizing the country’s stringent gay laws which are facing a challenging from a 21 year old UB student.
He also appeared to be open to talking to local media about changing draconian Media Practitioners Act (MPA) and the advertising ban instituted by his militant semi-literate predecessor.
