In all probability, the calibre of BDP candidates at both council and parliamentary levels for this year’s general election points to a party on the road downhill. Formed in 1965 the BDP had always managed to convince and bewitch voters that there was no alternative to its rule. However, yester year BDP had a calibre of politicians who offered themselves for political office out of sheer desire to serve the country. In spite of the reality that a majority of them were unschooled and a class away from intellectual bankruptcy, their humility, commitment to the values of their organization and their affinity with streetwise politics helped them to outmanoeuvre and trounce their political opponents with ease. These demagogues inspired confidence in the equally illiterate and na├»ve voters that Botswana was better off under BDP clowns and nit-pickers.
However, the BDP of today is ideologically and morally bankrupt. With a considerable number of the party’s old guard retiring and some being humiliatingly forced out, the party is surely in trouble. These are erstwhile kingpins of the BDP; exquisite demagogues who excelled in telling the elderly poor what they wanted to hear by harping on the past, specifically how the BDP government managed to transform Botswana from being one of the poorest countries in the world into a high middle income economy.
The failure of the BDP to groom young leaders of substance potent trouble for a party that, in spite of its wealth and connectedness, seems to be an exclusive outfit for midgets. Thus, the BDP has failed to produce a semblance of the like of KebatlamangMorake, Daniel Kwelagobe, PonatshegoKedikilwe, QuettMasire and so many other firebrands who are now fatigued and hopeless.
What is left is an irrelevant, stingy and greedy breed of pseudo- politicians who lack maturity and a sense of responsibility and cannot articulate the party’s manifesto to an average citizen.
While it is natural for a younger generation to step up and take on their share of leadership, the BDP could have done better than honour these over-glorified little men with high level political office. The BDP is undeniably in ruins and the only thing that presently breathes life into it is the charisma of its leader President Khama which explains why all BDP candidates look to the day when he (President Khama) descends on their constituencies to prop up their stuttering campaigns. There is not a single BDP parliamentary hopeful who is confident to sail through without President Khama’sAugmentation. And herein lies a godsend advantage for the opposition.
In political combat, a plan is a strategy to respond to a situation. In this respect, the opposition should plan to take advantage of the fact that a majority of BDP candidates are pussycats who could easily be manoeuvred into a situation that puts them at a disadvantage. Thus, the opposition should use the strategy of evade and attack, where upon they deliberately avoid direct confrontation with PresidentKhama. Sun Tze, the author of The Art of War suggests we avoid what is strong and attack what is weak. President Khama is undoubtedly popular and perhaps unbeatable especially in the rural villages.
On the other hand, a majority of BDP candidates are evidently weak, shakyand clueless hence the opposition ought to be realistic and focus their energy on assaulting these pretenders. This is classic guerrilla tactic used when faced with a stronger opponent. Attempting to square one on one with President Khama in the rural areas is futile and self-defeating.
Since President Khama would make only irregular and momentary visits to the 57 constituencies, avoiding direct confrontation with him allows the opposition to duck severe battering hence remain relatively unscathed and credible. President Khama can be ruthless and brutal when discrediting an opponent hence any direct sparring with him must be avoided as much as possible. However, once president Khama exit a particular constituency the opposition then launches into a relentless persistent and unyielding counter attack to ambush the BDP candidates who would now be naked, vulnerable and helpless.
Relatedly, unlike president Khama who can confidently promise voters salary increases, radios and all sort of freebies, aspiring ordinary parliamentarians and councillors may not enjoy the same privileges and luxuries hence it should be easy to strip, annihilate and dispense with in the absence of their fortified sovereign sangoma. In similar ways, the opposition ought to criticise President Khama’s pet projects with utmost caution lest they are misconstrued of attacking President Khama and thus offend his legion of unyielding followers.
Rather they ought to dedicate their resources at discrediting these political nutcases going as far as insinuating that these mobsters are the defective persons in an otherwise illustrious administration. This would likely make voters identify with the opposition’s brand of politics and give their sympathetic support and inspire a coup de grace.
