Editors Note

Homage to “General”

This month I want to pay homage to former Vice President, Lt. Gen. Mompati Sebogodi Merafhe.

In doing so, I would like to pick one of his many personal attributes during his days as an army commander and draw your attention, dear reader, to this quotation derived from the Confucian analects.

“By contrast, the best leadership is a relationship of imperceptible influence on others and harmonious resonance... Those who do develop this kind of leadership power...do not consciously cultivate leadership skills, and nor do they ever try to impose their will on others, however good their intentions might be. Instead, they concentrate on cultivating internal, personal virtues. Then, according to a resonance that can’t really be explained rationally, others tend to imitate such virtue, just as grass follows the direction of the invisible wind.”

The quotation captures the meaning of goodwill with regard to the inner self of an individual which in this case I have decided it is none other than Lt Gen Merafhe.

Mind you, when Lt. Gen. Merafhe began his career as a police officer and later founding commander of the Botswana Defence Force (BDF), it was fashionable and seemingly legitimate for African army leaders to seize power and impose themselves on the people through military coups.

However, one would argue that Botswana was blessed to have leaders such as Lt. Gen Merafhe’s whose leadership power, by contrast, was derived from cultivating internal and personal virtues than forceful imposition.

Unlike his counterparts in the rest of the continent, Lt. Gen. Merafhe spent 12 years in the leadership of BDF, serving the country with distinction, grit and virtues of a humble, loyal and devoted servant of the people.

As BDF commander Lt. Gen. Merafhe never tried to seize state power when his counterparts in other parts of Africa saw nothing wrong to do so.

Instead, his focus was more on building the BDF to become one of the most respected and disciplined forces in the world. Like grass that follows the direction of the invisible wind, his troops also followed in his footsteps, serving the country with virtue, discipline and loyalty.

The BDF became the pride of the nation through a relationship of imperceptible influence and harmonious resonance from the leadership.

That Lt. Gen. Merafhe was chosen among many to be the first BDF commander, was not a consciously cultivated leadership skill on his side.

 I believe those who saw it in him, that he was capable of becoming a loyal and humble but tough servant of the people, were struck by his imperceptible influence.They saw a man capable of cultivating internal, personal virtues whose resonance with others tended to imitate just as grass follows the direction of the invisible wind.

He laid a firm foundation of discipline, loyalty, patriotism, reverence and dedication for the BDF. Unlike in other countries where soldiers are soldiers in the literal sense, in Botswana the BDF are an integral part of the civilian live.

Be it sport, government’s poverty eradication initiatives, the fight against HIV/AIDS or helping execution of other social programmes as well as peace-keeping missions in Africa, one would not be wrong to count the BDF in.

They are following on the footsteps of a man many fondly call “General” who selflessly dedicated almost his entire life to serving the nation with distinction and unwavering patriotism. Thank you “General”! You deserve that rest. May the Lord give you more years to live! ENDS