Khama and Kgosi by Ntibinyane Ntibinyane | 07 July 2014 (BOTSWANA GUARDIAN) As far as their relationship goes, nobody knows Khama better than Kgosi, not even his immediate family members. For Khama and Kgosi, blood may be thicker than water, but loyalty is thicker than anything. The relationship between Khama and Kgosi can be traced back to the barracks of the Botswana Defence Force. While it is not clear how the two men first met, sources that have worked with the two men say that it was Kgosi’s sheer bravery, hard work and loyalty that drew him close to president Khama. Kgosi joined the BDF at the rank of Private and rose to the position of Colonel. “…Make no mistake, Kgosi’s rise at the BDF was not because Khama favoured him but mainly because Khama recognised his hard work and rewarded it. Khama rewarded so many army men at BDF not only because of their academic qualifications but because of hard work,” commented a former army officer who worked with both Khama and Kgosi at the BDF. The relationship between the two men grew from strength to strength according to sources. In Kgosi, Khama saw the younger self – someone that he can groom to be a leader. At one point they became inseparable. They became more than just colleagues at work. They became friends, close buddies whose friendship extended beyond working hours. Those who attended the funeral of president Khama’s mother lady Ruth Khama attest that Kgosi was the most influential non-family member who played a critical role during the funeral. In 2001 when Khama was awarded a plot near Mosu village in Boteti District it was Kgosi who travelled from Gaborone to Letlhakane to represent the president during the allocation process. After he was appointed vice president in 1998, president Khama roped in Kgosi to be his personal secretary. As a personal secretary to Khama – Kgosi acted more like Khama’s chief of staff; he was his enforcer and gatekeeper at the office of the vice president.
Posted on: Mon, 07 Jul 2014 11:20:16 +0000