About two months or so ago, I published an article in the Sunday Standard entitled “BDP and ANC on Home Stretch”.
I was riding on an article by a certain Ace Moloi who argued that “The African National Congress may rule until the world comes to an end, because our opposition parties are too proud to integrate and present voters with a rationally irresistible political alternative”. I concluded: “So, imperfect as it may be, I am afraid the ANC is the only reasonable option. And because the BDP and ANC are unparalleled twins, it is logical for a Motswana voter including those closely associated to and with the ANC to conclude: “So, imperfect as it may be, I am afraid the BDP is the only reasonable option”. Elections in South Africa have come and gone, and Ace Moloi’s contention that the ANC is the only reasonable option has turned out to be true. As per the official results released by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) of South Africa the ANC was declared the winner of the 2014 General Election clinching 62.15% of the national votes.
The party received 11 436 921 votes, which equals to 249 seats in the National Assembly. Furthermore the party is still in control of eight of the country’s provinces, with the exception of the Western Cape, which remains under the Democratic Alliance (DA). Whilst some commentators would like to downplay the ANC’s 62.15% simply because the Party’s popular vote went slightly down, the truth of the matter is that the ANC’s support base is overwhelming. And this comes against the backdrop of an onslaught on the Party leader Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma.
The opposition decided to tackle the ‘man and not the ball’ forgetting to present their alternative socio-economic agenda to that of the ANC. Nkandla or no Nkandla people wanted to hear who would come up with sound and realistic alternatives that could improve their living conditions. “Short in ideas, short in intellect and short in depth” opposition parties normally clutch on straws thinking they could be saved from sinking. Back home the Opposition is failing to come up with sound and realistic alternatives and are now clutching on the effects of ‘bulela ditswe’ whereas some BDP Primary elections losers decamp whilst some opt to stand as Independent candidates. One wonders what the opposition stems to gain from this eventuality because that said and done, will not bring food to the table of the ordinary Motswana, nor improve the living conditions of Batswana better than what the BDP is offering.
Tackling the “man and not the ball” the opposition Parties have made President Khama their key election target and one can lay claim that they are making HE the President their “manifesto” instead of presenting voters with irresistible political alternative. Talk of clutching the straws!! To add to the thrill, some of the so called “big catch” comes through as poisoned chalice. In Tonota, (although a walk in the park for the BDP) the Botswana National Front is in dire straits following the decamping of Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Triple P Moatlhodi from the BDP to the BNF. Triple P decamped at the time when the BNF had undertaken their Primary Elections and Maokaneng Bontshetse was the victor. For some unknown cult spell that has become synonymous with the BNF leading to every general election, the Party is at sixes and sevens in Tonota whereas some would like Triple P to stand in place of Maokaneng Bontshetse, the legitimate winner of the BNF Primary Elections.
At the time he was recalled by the BDP some years ago and given ordinary party member status like many of us, who are not MPs, he created a storm in a tea cup resulting in the infamous ‘Bo Tate’ trademark. Having lost the Primary Elections to BDP’s Thapelo Olopeng this time around, he jumps ship and in landing at the BNF, he creates commotion instead of using his ‘charisma and eloquence’ to propel Maokaneng Bontshetse. We should be mindful that Triple P has been winning BDP Primary Elections and on 2 occasions, o ne a suputsa my friend Comma Serema (Coma Serema was a victim of Triple Ps onslaught and blitz), but Coma Serema still remains a loyal BDP cadre. He did not decide to stand as an Independent candidate.
Apart from a member or two joining the ranks of the Opposition, a number of individuals are standing as mekoko. This has also excited Opposition Parties who believe that ‘mekoko’ are somewhat their lifeline. It is wishful thinking to expect ‘mekoko’ to influence the results negatively against the BDP. History has repeated itself many-a-times on this whereas they have had little or no bearing on the results. For some of us who have been following politics from yesteryear the late Willie Matheadira Pitla Pitla Seboni comes to mind.
‘Pitla Pitla’ Seboni was a thrilling and compelling character heavily endowed in charisma. One of the first to register as an Independent candidate using the mokoko (roosters) symbol he was at one time Assistant Minister of Finance and Development Planning and BDP MP in Gaborone. Pitla Pitla Seboni had been seconded to the Africa Bank in Abidjan.
At one of his rallies, Pitla Pitla informed that he decided to be an Independent candidate because on arrival from his assignment in ABJ, and in paying a courtesy call on then President Q. K. J. Masire, Q.K.J. asked what his plans were: “kare wa nchiya mfana” in tsotsi tal dialect he played to the gallery occasionally, to the outburst of thousands who had attended the rally. He expressed frustration that instead of Q.K.J. sharing his plans about him, it was the other way round, with Pitla Pitla being asked what his plans were. As a secondary school young boy then, I would follow Pitla Pitla to all his rallies within the vicinity and they would be packed to capacity. Come elections day, Pitla Pitla was elected by a little less than 300 voters before joining the BNF and losing the next elections to Daniel Kwelagobe by a huge margin. That was the end of Pitla Pitla’s political career. If only he had been patient and remained in the BDP. Batswana and in particular political party activists must learn that primary elections can be won and at the same time can be lost. Activists must understand that they can contribute to the party irrespective of whether one is a Member of Parliament or Councilor, like many of us.
As BDP veteran Patrick Balopi noted during the Mahalapye West Fund Raising dinner which I attended on Saturday 7th June, mistakes could have been made during the run up to ‘bulela ditswe’ and indeed the Party must pay particular attention and close the loopholes next time. He impressed on Democrats to accept that mistakes were done, but should let sleeping dogs lie for the benefit of the greater organization. In conclusion, I posit that much as the BDP could be having challenges with ‘bulela ditswe’ the opposition has failed dismally to present voters with a rationally irresistible political alternative. In as much as the ANC won elections outright, so will BDP be convincingly victorious in the October 2014 elections.
