Jakoba wa motomokoraga

I’m seated with the former Minister of Education in his palatial office at BEDIA HQ. He is dressed is an expensive looking navy blue suit with a sky blue shirt and the typical red tie.

Mbuso: Good morning sir

Jakes: Dumela rra, le kae?

Mbuso: Re teng, thanks for seeing me sir, I have long promised face2facebotswana readers an interview with you.

Jakes: No worries mate, so what do you want to know?

Mbuso: I just need to chat with you so I and readers of my blog can get to know you better.

Jakes: I am at your disposal.

Mbuso: Can I call you Jakes?

Jakes: Yes, yes, no problem at all, or Jakoba if you like

Mbuso: Hehehe, Jakoba, I like that, I had a womanizer friend who called himself Jakoba, he said O JA a bo a KOBA, Jakoba! I hope you not like that as well sir.

Jakes: No no, I don’t do that!

Mbuso: So ga o kobe?

Jakes: Nyaa rra.

Mbuso: So u stick around?

Jakes: Kante o raa jang ne monna? Ga ke dire dilo tseo.

Mbuso: Your womanizing is legendary sir, second only to you know who.

Jakes: Well legends can sometimes be just that, with no truth whatsoever

Mbuso: But you no saint gakere mme?

Jakes: Nobody is perfect Mbuso.

Mbuso: Tell me about the car accident you had in 1999.

Jakes: It’s a long time back, but I remember, I think the car tire burst and I lost control.

Mbuso: Were you hurt?

Jakes: Yes, I broke my arm, I had to be airlifted to GPH

Mbuso: And the young lady you were with?

Jakes: What young lady?

Mbuso: Come on, no need to deny, I’m sure even your wife has forgiven you.

Jakes: She was taken toGumarePrimareHospital before being flown to Nyangabwe

Mbuso: Why was she not flown to GPH too, because she was hurt more that you were?

Jakes: Well, she had no medical aid

Mbuso: But you were supposed to foot her bill, gakere you the one who took her to Gumare

Jakes: Yes, but I am a married man, how would I justify that to my wife?

Mbuso: I understand, but i am told there was a huge outcry because of it, her parents were not impressed at all.

Jakes: Its now water under the bridge.

Mbuso: Are you guys still seeing each other?

Jakes: Naa, she is old now

Mbuso: Ehe, Jakoba, so you like them young?

Jakes: Who doesn’t?

Mbuso: lol, le dira dilo, so o JA a le le14, fa a gola o a KOBA?

Jakes: Let he who has never sinned throw the 1^st stone!

Mbuso: Ok rre Jakoba, tell me, you have been a cabinet minister and secretary general of the ruling party, now you are CEO of BEDIA, how do you cope with that?

Jakes: Its not easy, but I manage. I might be down but I am not out.

Mbuso: I am told you lied your self into the BEDIA post

Jakes: What do you mean?

Mbuso: After you were interviewed and before the board could act you sent emissaries to the board, claiming there were from HE, and everybody knowing HE’s nepotism, they believed and you were appointed

Jakes: Well, it was just fitting that I did that, Khama thinks he is smart. He uses people then dumps them when they need him most. I told him I wanted the Job but he was not going to do something about it. I lost theNgami constituency because of battles I fought for Khama.

Mbuso: Does he speak to you?

Jakes: No, he refused to see me on 3 different occasions. I think he plotted my downfall. That’s why he was quick to appoint Kwerepe to the CC. His plan is to raise his stature so than he defeats me in the 2014 elections.

Mbuso: But why would he do that?

Jakes: I guess I am a threat to his succession plan. He does not like the fact that I have presidential ambitions.

Mbuso: You do?

Jakes: Yes, look, I stood a very good chance had I remained in cabinet.

Mbuso: Who do you think he wants to succeed him?

Jakes: Ideally that stupid brother of his, but I think he does not have the courage to do that, so maybe Ndelu, but his corruption case dented his chances, so I think Kitso also stands a chance.

Mbuso: Have you given up hope?

Jakes: No, I will challenge whoever he appoints, the party allows for the presidency to be contested during congress, its just nobody has ever done that.

Mbuso: I wish you luck sir. You have a long history in government and a lot of people had strong emotions against you, e.g. The Mogoditshane residents whose houses your yellow monsters destroyed when you were minister of Lands and

Jakes: Well, as a leader you have to take tough decisions, that sometimes leave people upset.

Mbuso: Many people believe your tenure at the MOE cost you your career

Jakes: No, like I said before, Khama sponsored people to decampaign me.

Mbuso: That’s a serious allegation

Jakes: It’s strange but it’s true.

Mbuso: So what is your come back strategy?

Jakes: I will lay low for now but 2013 I will resign and run for the primary

Mbuso: Don’t you think by then Kwerepe will have entrenched himself?

Jakes: No, he has actually lost some respect because of the way he handled his responsibility as the party secretary general. Most of his people either joined BMD or are angry with him for crossing factional lines. So right now he is a lone ranger. I still have my people working on the ground to mobilize support for me. I also try to be visible on the ground.

Mbuso: There is a chance that you will face the combined opposition in 2014

Jakes: Well, that would be a tough fight, but I am sure I will win. I am mobilizing resources for that campaign.

Mbuso: Talking of resources, you were once accused of soliciting favors from organizations under your ministry, the party T-shirts sponsored by one of the private tertiary institutions come to mind.

Jakes: Well, mongwe le mongwe o utswa kwa a berekang teng. If you go to a teacher’s house you will find chalks and dusters!

Mbuso: So you condone corruption?

Jakes: Well, asking for help is not corruption, everyone is free to do that.

Mbuso: If a minister and an opposition politician ask for sponsorship from a business which the minister regulates, will the business have the free will to make a decision?

Jakes: Well, as a minister I do not deal with institutions directly

Mbuso: But you might influence policies that affect them.

Jakes: Well

Mbuso: Your name has been mentioned in every major corruption case in Botswana, from the Owens Cornings pipes, to Zakhem Construction to Nchindogate to Jamali, how do you do that? Jakes: Well I am not corrupt

Mbuso: Is that all you gonna say?

Jakes: O batla ke reng, I have never been convicted of corruption; all you are saying are just perceptions!

Mbuso: Lets take the case of fraudster, self-confessed corrupter of government officials and money launderer, Nicolas Zakhem. In January 1999, You received P20 000 from Zac Construction, a company led by Zakhem, What was he paying for?

Jakes: I am a business man with a lot of business interests; I would not remember what I was paid for 12 years ago.

Mbuso: Come on man

Jakes: Ok, I was young and stupid, I don’t wanna talk about it.

Mbuso: So Zakhem corrupted you?

Jakes: Come on, do I have to explicitly say it? It was a point in time where cabinet ministers were getting a lot of cutbacks, so I was no exception. Its just that my deeds came out in public.

Mbuso: You were recently accused of perjury in the Nchindo case, how do you respond to that?

Jakes: Well, there is some truth to that accusation. I invested some money in the Nchindo project, so I was bound to lose money if the land was forfeited to the state, so I had to help were I could. But I don’t think DPP will slap me with perjury charges. I already sorted that out with the Director.

Mbuso: You corrupted him?

Jakes: No, just know that they will be no case.

Mbuso: Jamali?

Jakes: The case is still before court and I am a state witness so I will not say anything now.

Mbuso: Ok lets talk about your stay in cabinet, do you think HE is a dictator as he has been portrayed in the media?

Jakes: To an extent yes. He is a hot potato that one. He pronounces policy positions before he consults anybody, then people have to scamper around to develop policy documents. The alcohol levy comes to mind, so does the backyard garden crap.

Mbuso: Hehehe, ba re crap

Jakes: Its embarrassing, its just that the BDP has been conditioned that they have to use a top down approach and currently the top is not so smart.

Mbuso: Lets talk BEDIA, many tax payers feel that you do not bring any high value investors, looking at the amount of money the government spends on BEDIA, all we see is Chinese shops.

Jakes: Well, those Chinese are investors, they create jobs for Batswana

Mbuso: You kidding me, right

Jakes: Seriously, in any case we market our country, Investors do not turn up the day after you talk to them, we have leads that we are hoping will become fruitful soon.

Mbuso: BEDIA was recently accused of stealing investor Ideas and the Board instituted an investigation whose results are yet to be made public, what is your take on that?

Jakes: I cannot comment until the Board has published their findings.

Mbuso: When I heard that I went “”Shit, Jakes, not another scandal!

Jakes: Don’t worry, this time I am not involved!

Mbuso: With you, we never know!

Jakes: Hehehe, I am a reformed man.

Mbuso: Lets talk about your presidential ambitions, what do you think makes you presidential material?

Jakes: Look at me, my face will increase the value of the P10 note! Just kidding, I am smart, savvy, educated and I have been in cabinet for a long time, I have been in about 3 ministries, I know how the government functions. I listen, I am a team worker and I am BDP. If I become president it will quell rumors that the country presidency is reserved for people from MASEPA region only!

Mbuso: MASEPA?

Jakes: MAhalapye, SErowe, PAlapye!

Mbuso: Hehehe, that’s a 1^st!

Jakes: Ao, ele gore o nna kae wena.

Mbuso: I honestly think you can make a good president, pity that at the rate the BDP is losing respect by 2014 you will be president of an opposition party!

Jakes: I think our opposition is too polarized to make a meaningful pact, only if they disbanded and make 1 party would they stand a chance. I foresee a situation where they will quarrel over constituencies leading to a lot of independent candidates, leaving BDP with a clear sight of the goal posts!

Mbuso: You will be surprised, I think they realize now more than ever that they need each other to save the country

Jakes: But do not underestimate the BDP machinery, we own the airwaves, and the money, so we can virtually shut out the opposition from the Airwaves and the voters in the rural areas will never know there is opposition. Ian Khama can be ruthless my friend, ask me.

Mbuso: That’s already happening, he moved the broadcasting department to his office so he can have tight control on Batswana hear

Jakes: You see!

Mbuso: This one is out of the blue, is it true that one of the senior cabinet members is Gay?

Jakes: Hehehe, its not true, let me tell you this guy’s story

Mbuso: I am all ears!

Jakes: When he was in theUK, apparently he went to a surgeon and said “Doctor, I want to be castrated”, the doctor looked at him with great surprise and asked him “Young man, are you sure you want that? The operation is irreversible” Our young man said “Yes doctor, I have made up my mind after thinking about this for months, I want to be castrated!” The doctor tried to reason with the then young man but the young man was adamant that that’s what he wanted, he even threatened to take his money to another surgery.

Mbuso: Interesting, so what happened next?

Jakes: The doctor made him sign all the relevant indemnity papers and carried out the operation!

Mbuso: Ao, why would the young man want that?

Jakes: Iketle, the story does not end there, when he was in the recovery room our young man saw another man limping and he said, smiling proudly “Sir, we seem to have done the same operation!” The man replied, “Yes, I circumcised!” Our young man holds his face in his hands and goes, “shit! That’s the word I wanted!”

Mbuso: Wow, is that why he is …. Shit!

Jakes: You didn’t hear it from me!

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