Botswana: Mogae – The President Who Was Beyond Protocol

Botswana is quieter this week. Not because its people are silent, but because a statesman who carried the weight of a nation has gone to rest. The passing of His Excellency Festus Gontebanye Mogae reminds us that true leadership does not need to shout to be heard. It speaks, and its echo travels far.

I first met former President Mogae in January 2013, and within minutes I understood why he was a leader beyond protocol. _Daily Trust_ had invited him to Abuja to chair its 12th annual lecture series,…