Are Opposition parties vying for Unity Dow’s signature?

The recent resignation of the Specially Elected Member of Parliament, Dr. Unity Dow from the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) is reminiscent of the 1981 resignation of Daniel Kwele from the same party. Kwele was also specially elected MP and so is Dow. Kwele had also been a member of the Cabinet and so was Dow. He was dropped from the Cabinet where he had served as assistant minister of Local Government and Lands. He was dropped by President Sir Ketumile Masire because there were certain things which he did which the BDP did not agree with. After being dropped from the Cabinet, he did not immediately resign from Parliament and there was nothing more the BDP could do to harm him farther. It was after he had made up his mind that he quit parliament and went on to form a political party called the Botswana Progressive Union (BPU), His party did not progress as its name suggested. It died a natural death.

Kwele was the first president of the Botswana National Front (BNF). People often say Ray Molomo was the first BNF president. I disagree. What happened is that Ray Molomo was elected in abstentia when the BNF was launched in Mochudi in October 1965. When news of his election was communicated to him, he declined because at that time he was a lecturer at one of the teachers’ training colleges. There were two teachers colleges then. One was in Lobatse and the other in Serowe where he met with Dr.Kenneth Koma for the first time. Koma had just arrived from Moscow, Russia where he had been studying. He had gone to Serowe visiting his sister-in-law, Mavis Koma who was the college matron at the time. Perhaps it was that visit which formed his good impression of Ray Molomo which led to the latter being elected party president. Again, the congress may have been influenced by the close relationship Ray had with Kgosi Linchwe II who chaired the proceedings which led to the formation of the BNF.