Friday, February 7, 2025

BCP Counsellor says BMD viability is suspect

The outspoken Botswana Congress Party Councilor for Ledumadumane has said he worries a lot about the viability of another opposition party, the Botswana Movement for Democracy.

The two parties are part of an opposition axis that is currently mulling cooperation.

In an interview, Phagenyana Phage said BMD should invest resources on assessing just how viable their party is before wasting time and resources.

He said what is currently happening is that the ruling Botswana Democratic Party, from whence the BMD split, is doing everything to undermine the new BMD.

“BDP hates the BMD passionately. The ruling party will do everything to annihilate BMD,” said Phage.
He said it is possible that after the next General Elections due in 2014 there will be no political party called BMD.

Phage said the recent appointment of Ponatshego Kedikilwe as Acting Vice President is a deliberate strategy by President Ian Khama to take the steam out of the BMD.

“Kedikilwe has always been looked at as an underground commander of the BMD. After what Khama did, I am worried BMD will die. As of now many BMD founders are going back to the BDP,” he said.

Phage said BMD would do itself a great favour by learning the lessons from BCP’s early years.
“We started with more than ten Members of Parliament and about 74 councilors. After elections we were left with just one MP.

The bottom line is that defection is not a good measure of one’s popularity. Popularity is measured through elections,” he said.

BCP was formed by a block of political leaders that broke away from Botswana National Front.
Phagenyana said he was, however, eternally grateful to the BMD for having broken away from the BDP.
“After the split, we are now the same. The BDP will never accuse any political party of producing splinters,” he said.

Talking about the Botswana National Front, Phage said Duma Boko should have his voice heard.
Boko is the current BNF President.

“We are still to know what Boko stands for. He comes across like an old supersonic radio with flat batteries,” said Phage.

Speaking about Ian Khama, Phage said the current State President is a good campaign weapon for the BCP.

“Khama is very good for the BCP. He has too many mistakes. That is going to work in our favour. I have never seen a President who wants to Chairman, Secretary General, Regional Chair and everything else like Khama,” said Phage.

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