Former President of Botswana, his Excellency Festus Mogae, will be giving lectures today at Ohio University. This trip is an effort to discuss how international issues affect education, business and other disciplines.
Mogae, 71, served as the President of the Republic of Botswana from March 1998 until March 31, 2008. Since his term ended, he has served as the United Nations Secretary General's Special Envoy on Climate Change and is currently working at the Woodrow Wilson Institute as a scholar and President in Residence.
The Post's Elizabeth Dickson spoke to Mogae about his visit to Ohio University, international issues of concern and his presidency.
The Post: Why did you feel it was important to come to Ohio University to give these lectures?
His Excellency Festus Mogae: Well, we have a long-standing relationship with the university. In the '80s, we had a relationship between the University of Botswana and Ohio University.
They helped to strengthen our education programs and a number of Ohio University faculty helped train our teachers. It was a 10-year program.
Post: Did you serve a role in that program?
Mogae: Well, I was the cabinet secretary and later vice-President.
Post: How would you describe the relationship between OU & Botswana?
Mogae: Yes, it is still very strong, especially between the two universities.
Post: And being the former President of Botswana, a country that has had only four presidents, how do you feel democracy has played a role in your country?
Mogae: Well, I think we have developed economically, had democratic elections; we have free press, judiciary, a separation of powers between the parliament and executive powers. We have a parliamentary system, so I would say a democracy has greatly impacted our county.
Post: What do you feel is the international perception of the country of Botswana?
Mogae: I am under the impression that it is relatively favorable.
Post: What have you found to be interesting while visiting Ohio University?
Mogae: Well, the kindness of the student community and leadership. I am interested to see that the students are interested in issues that are really challenges to us, whether they are environmental or democracies.
Post: What do you feel are the most pertinent of our international issues?
Mogae: One of them is climate change. The other thing is leadership. Leadership is a very important variable. Leadership is a determinant of progress, for economic or social progress or lack thereof.
Post: The country of Botswana has had a problem with the AIDS epidemic. How does that impact your country and what have you done as president?
Mogae: It has impacted us very negatively. That was 10 years ago. We now have people living with the virus and living positively. There is no crisis now. We have literally combated a killer disease to a chronic one.
Post: What do you feel during your presidency was your greatest accomplishment?
Mogae: The fight against AIDS itself and development of the media. I will say overall it was the consolidation of democracy.
Post: What was your greatest challenge?
Mogae: The greatest challenge was AIDS; it was the greatest and the usual party factionalism. The outbreak of a disease, of livestock, and we had to destroy 350,000 cattle. The farmers didn't like it. There were also members of various ethnic groups saying that they weren't mentioned in the Constitution. So we had to amend three sections of the Constitution to accommodate them.
Post: What is your ultimate goal for this trip? What do you hope students who come to your lectures get from it?
Mogae: I hope to have inspired people to have a better perspective of the world.
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Festus Gontebanye Mogae, former president of the Republic of Botswana, delivers his keynote address on African leadership and socioeconomic development in Africa Monday in Baker University Center Ballroom.
(Chen Lou/For The Post)
