UNDERSTANDING AND ENGAGING BOTSWANA'S IAN KHAMA

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 GABORONE 000682 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/03/2019 TAGS: PGOV PINR BC SUBJECT: UNDERSTANDING AND ENGAGING BOTSWANA'S IAN KHAMA REF: A. GABORONE 665 ¶B. GABORONE 674 (NOTAL) Classified By: Ambassador Stephen J. Nolan Reason: 1.4 (b) -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (C) Reformer. Visionary. Maverick. Autocrat. All are descriptions of Botswana's President Ian Khama that Embassy staff have heard during the year of his presidency, with the viewpoints driven by the speaker's political perspective. Khama has displayed elements of all four descriptions during his brief tenure, but the man is not easily characterized. We consider him to be a committed environmentalist who is most at ease with longtime friends and who chafes at the barriers that separate him as President from ordinary people. Khama's biracial identity and disciplined military background distinguish him from his predecessors. Khama knows that Botswana's diamonds are not forever and understands he must push hard to encourage economic diversification; his opponents' attacks on Khama's disregard for protracted political debate are best understood as reflecting a lack of comfort with his intention to move faster than conservative Batswana culture is used to. Nevertheless, while Khama may never morph into a natural politician, he clearly possesses the courage and conviction that mark a true leader. Our policy challenge is to ensure that Khama applies the same energy and commitment he brings to domestic issues to the task of building coalitions of like-minded countries to make progress on key regional and Africa-wide challenges. Personal engagement by senior U.S. leaders is the most likely way to encourage him to invest time in this effort. End summary. ¶2. (U) This is the third in a series of cables intended to address aspects of the U.S.-Botswana partnership that may be of strategic relevance to the United States. The viewpoints expressed below come from the observations of Embassy staff (local and American),as well as a broad variety of academics, journalists, and politicians. -------------- REFORMER OR AUTOCRAT? -------------- ¶3. (C) Since assuming office in April 2008 after the retirement of former President Festus Mogae, Ian Khama has worked at breakneck speed (at least by Botswana's standards) to streamline the operations of government, win total control of the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP),and revolutionize Botswana's slow-moving, consultative political culture. His zeal was evident from the beginning, when he announced a new, reshuffled Cabinet almost immediately, one that took little account of political balance and focused instead on delivery and accountability. Since that time he has made "results" rather than process his top priority, and he has travelled the country extensively to ensure local officials are also getting the message. ¶4. (C) The BDP has long been riven by factionalism, and Khama's attempts to exert his control over the party have not gone down well with his opponents. There are two broad schools of thought on the President's actions. The pro-Khama view is that the President is tired of the political wrangling necessary to keep various factions in line and is fed up with being forced to appoint Ministers and other officials for political reasons rather than on merit. Khama's critics, however, allege that he tends to appoint loyalists and former military colleagues to positions in party and government in order to surround himself with "yes men" (and most of them are men) who will not stand up to Khama. -------------- -------------- BACKGROUND AT ODDS WITH CONSULTATIVE POLITICAL CULTURE -------------- -------------- ¶5. (C) Whether characterized as reformist zeal or dictatorial meddling, Khama's political style is clearly very different from the consensus-based approach favored by Batswana, both politically and otherwise. Khama's personal history as son of the country's first President, chief of the country's largest tribe, and longtime head of the military were widely cited as reasons for his approach. Khama's family background bestowed upon him a sense of exceptionalism -- if not GABORONE 00000682 002 OF 003 necessarily entitlement -- practically from birth. Several observers also cited the fact that Khama's mother Ruth was a white Englishwoman as an important factor that shaped his personality. The President was not raised as a typical Motswana and still prefers English to Setswana in personal conversation and public speeches. Hence, while his role as paramount chief of the Bamanangwato should have exposed him to Batswana cultural traditions, his overriding political and cultural influences have been Western in nature. ¶6. (C) Khama's military career was even more widely cited as a reason for his tendencies to give orders rather than consult. Khama was appointed as a brigadier general at age 24 (possibly the youngest ever in the world) and Deputy Commander of the Botswana Defense Force (BDF) upon its 1977 creation, later serving as BDF chief from 1989 until becoming Vice President in 1998. Hence, Khama has spent most of his adult life in a professional context in which his orders were followed with neither negotiation nor dissent. The political fray is still not a natural arena for him. -------------- -------------- TROUBLE COMMUNICATING POLITICAL VISION AT HOME... -------------- -------------- ¶7. (C) When asked about the nature of Khama's political vision, observers cited poverty reduction, economic diversification, and improved government performance as domestic issues they believe he wants to tackle. However, they also noted that Khama thus far has not done a good job communicating this vision. Khama does not like to give speeches, and while he excels at small group discussions, particularly with villagers, he tends to avoid contentious policy issues in these chats. Khama also has yet to (and may never) develop a close relationship with the local media that would help him communicate his goals in a more informal manner; he tends to disdain them as unprofessional and instead focus on international media, like CNN, the New York Times, and the Financial Times, with all of whom he has developed a positive rapport. -------------- ... THOUGH BRAVELY OUTSPOKEN ABROAD -------------- ¶8. (C) While observers note Khama's difficulties in communicating his message at home, they note he has no such troubles outside of Botswana. Khama has made it clear he has no time for the longstanding practice of African leaders presenting a united front to the world, showing himself unafraid to buck the regional and continental consensus on issues like Zimbabwe, Sudan, and cooperation with Washington, particularly on military issues. The President also seems to have little time for organizations like the Africa Union and Southern African Development Community, which he sees as talk shops. In this arena, Khama is showing himself to be a leader unlike any other the continent has seen -- although it remains to be seen if this boldness will yet result in anti-Khama backlash from Botswana's neighbors. -------------- THE PRIVATE KHAMA -- A "CLOSED BOOK"? -------------- ¶9. (C) Asked what Khama was like as a person, several observers repeated the phrase "closed book," as the President is loath to reveal very much about himself on a personal level. He values his privacy very much, and many think his anti-local media bias stems partly from this fact. However, a few pictures of Khama the person did emerge, and suggest he is not quite so closed as some think: --The President is a big sports fan, particularly of soccer. He never misses a national team home game, and he is the patron of the Botswana Football Association. --An avid outdoorsman, Khama's commitment to environmental causes is sincere and personal; his membership on the board of Conservation International is one of his most cherished causes, and on his frequent environmental activities in Botswana he is invariably accompanied by friends. --Khama is an avowed teetotaler, and his efforts to push through last year's Liquor Act (which enacted a 30 percent tax on alcoholic beverages) were driven by his personal feelings. A few observers noted that they think Khama's personal distaste stemmed from his own father's problems with GABORONE 00000682 003 OF 003 alcohol, which some think hastened his death in 1980. --Khama is not religious -- one observer said Khama "fears church." He will talk to religious leaders on pertinent policy issues, but not on spiritual matters. --The President values loyalty, and he keeps a tight circle. According to one observer, "once you fall out with him, he can never trust you again." --He maintains longstanding pre- or extra-political friendships with people who have no ax to grind. They help to keep him grounded and provide him a window on the real world. --Khama is informal and easy to talk to in one-on-one conversations, especially on environmental subjects. -------------- EXPORTING INFLUENCE? -------------- ¶10. (C) Our policy challenge is to encourage Khama to seek to build alliances with like-minded countries within SADC and the AU and try to influence policy outcomes. Being "right" on issues like Zimbabwe is a virtue, but being effective in ensuring change is harder and more important for Botswana's longer term interests. We see several potential allies for Khama in the sub-region, including potentially Presidents Kikwete and Zuma, depending on the issues, but it is not yet clear that Khama is willing to invest time in this coalition-building effort. Our view in Gaborone is that personal encouragement by senior USG officials would be the first and most valuable step towards a more regionally effective Khama. Engaging him informally on environmental issues would likely pay significant policy dividends and could lead to his broader regional engagement. NOLAN