Thapelo Ndlovu. Dear Power Monologues.

Abstract

Although Botswana is arguably a liberal democracy that guarantees freedom of speech and expression, political humour is not a tool that is often used to enjoy such freedoms save a few stand up comedians through the Comedy for the Nation of Botswana series (also known as ‘Laff-A-Lot’). Hence, Thapelo Ndlovu’s Dear Power Monologues is a welcome addition to the contours of freedom of speech and expression in Botswana. Nobody is safe from his acerbic tongue: Africans leaders such as Botswana’s Ian Khama, South Africa’s Jacob Zuma, Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe, Swaziland’s King Mswati, Libya’s Kaddafi; Kenya’s Uhuru Kenyatta, Congo’s Joseph Kabila, Malawi’s Joyce Banda, Nigeria’s Goodluck Jonathan, and Zambia’s Michael Sata are lampooned. In no small measure, Ndlovu is Botswana’s Michael Moore (see Dude Where’s My Country?).