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FM AMEMBASSY GABORONE
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INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
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RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NSC WASHINGTON DC

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) 
 
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SUMMARY 
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¶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