US embassy cable - 05GABORONE1027

C O N F I D E N T I A L GABORONE 001027 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
AF/S FOR MUNCY 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/21/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, BC, Vice President Khama 
SUBJECT: BOTSWANA VP KHAMA CONCERNED ABOUT MISPERCEPTIONS 
OF HIS PUBLIC IMAGE 
 
REF: A) GABORONE 1026 B) GABORONE 56 C) 04 GABORONE 
 
     1950 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Joseph Huggins for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D) 
 
1.  (C)  During his farewell call on Botswana Vice 
President Lt. General Seretse Khama Ian Khama July 21 (Ref 
A), the Ambassador urged Khama to address a widespread 
perception among the public that once he becomes President, 
Khama might curtail Botswana's freedoms (Refs B and C). 
Khama replied that he knew about his image but that this 
derived from his background.  He stated that he is not a 
politician. 
As a results oriented military man entering 
government seven years ago, he focused his attention on 
getting 
things done.  This contrasted with a politician's approach 
which would is to please everyone to attract votes. 
 
2.  (C)  Khama recognized that he needed to better define his 
 
public image, but is reluctant to do so now  because 
"President 
Mogae is still President."  He does not want to get out in 
front of Mogae. Khama saidthat when asked by the press about 
his future plans as President, he refused to answer the 
question because it would not be 
respectful to discuss his future leadership while the current 
President was still in office.  Moreover, given his family 
name 
and background as son of Botswana's first president, he did 
not want to upstage President Mogae in any way. 
 
3.   (C)  In addition, Khama observed that President Mogae, 
as a career civil servant, favored compromise.  So, Mogae 
was more conciliatory toward permanent secretaries and civil 
servants in the 
ministries who were not accomplishing the work.  Khama felt 
that civil servants should consider government service as a 
calling and be 
more committed to serving the people of Botswana.  Some 
permanent secretaries, he claimed, 
viewed their ministries as their own personal fiefdoms and 
were not working on behalf of government. 
Khama pledged that, when the time came for him to assume 
the presidency, he would make gradual changes in the various 
ministries bringing own board people who were more results 
oriented. 
 
4. (C) Khama ended the conversation by stating that like his 
father, he believed in democracy and the rule of law.  He 
stated he knows he has a responsibility of following the 
roadmap laid out by his father and observed that once he 
assumes the office of the Presidency, he will make changes on 
how the various ministries operate, but would not do anything 
to harm Botswana,s democratic image.  He also stated that he 
would surround himself by wise men and women to advise him on 
important issues.  This will disappoint some of the current 
people around him who would not be a part of this new group 
as he realizes that the current group want to use him for 
their benefit and not the benefit of the country. 
 
HUGGINS 
 
 
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