An update on Professor Good

During early September an appeal to Botswana's President Mogae had been circulated. It requested support for the initiative to approach the President with the intention that he revokes his declaration of Prof. Kenneth Good as a Prohibited Immigrant (PI). Within seven days more than 150 members of the academic community in 20 countries (incl. Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia and South Africa) from four continents signed up. The list included prominent scholars of international standing and on good terms with Botswana's authorities. It hence reflected and testified to the honest concern the appeal tried to articulate. The appeal was submitted with all names attached on 15 September. In the absence of any response it was re-submitted on 3 October. Since President Mogae was the guest speaker at this year's Oxford Union, a third effort was made on 10 October with the intention to receive a favourable response to the suggestion that this might be an excellent opportunity to announce in midst a gathering of renowned scholars committed to the virtues of academic freedom that the PI status declared on Prof. Good would be revoked.

The local daily "Mmegi" published on 14 October a big story offering a fair account of the efforts - but interestingly enough under the heading "European (sic!) academics plead with Mogae on Good" (http://www.mmegi.bw/2005/October/Friday14/1027315029819.html). It quoted Jeff Ramsay, the Press Secretary to the President, who confirmed to the paper receipt of the letters but commented that "the state has no plans to allow Good back into the country" and "that as far as the government is concerned, the case is over".

The same evening of October 14, President Mogae delivered his address at the Oxford Union on "Globalisation and Good Governance", which he opened as follows: "It is a pleasure to return to these hallowed halls. Every time I come back I am again reminded of when, I first came here as a student straight out of the then Bechuanaland Protectorate. In the four decades since, my homeland has changed in many ways besides its name. I suspect I may have as well." And in the course of his speech, which made not a single direct reference to either the ongoing controversies around the Bushmen, nor to the case of Prof. Good, President Mogae stated: "Let me firmly state my own conviction that good governance based on what are now commonly accepted as international standards is an absolute prerequisite for sustainable development in today's world. I further believe that governance must in the end be about maintaining an evolving institutional framework by which people at the local and national levels continue to have a meaningful say about the domestic policies that shape their lives."

Many thanks to all, who by reacting affirmatively to the appeal supported the case not only of Prof. Good but of demanding academic freedom in general. Independent of the outcome, it is a testimony to our desire to uphold and protect minimum values and norms in respect of our scholarly endeavours. Any further individual views concerning President Mogae's position could be directly articulated to the Office of the President ([email protected]) and in copy to the President's Press Secretary Dr. Jeff Ramsay ([email protected]).