Instead of agonising and chastising Arone, BCP should take a leaf out of Botswana National Front’s (BNF) intrigue following the unexpected departure of Barolong constituency Member of Parliament James Mathokgwane who ditched politics for a more lucrative executive post at the Selibe-Phikwe Economic Diversification Unit (SPEDU).
The BNF, a member of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) political coalition deployed a master stroke strategy by finding a credible candidate in Kgosi Lotlaamoreng to retain its hard earned constituency.
The UDC pooled all its financial and human resources to ensure that the BDP could not stand a chance of winning the constituency.
Before BDP popped champagne in anticipation of winning the constituency in the ensuing bye-election, the opposition BNF scrupulously identified a credible replacement to retain their constituency. Not to be outdone, the BNF went for the jugular and convinced Kgosi Lotlaamoreng to be their unopposed replacement who swiftly won them the day at the bye-election.
When the BDP was still engaged in the hunt for a replacement by holding primaries to identify their candidate, the BNF was already on the ground politicking and convincing the electorate not to relinquish their hard won feat.
By pulling all stops to ensure that BCP die-hards in the Okavango constituency do no defect with Arone, the party appears to appreciate the harm that could be caused by Arone’s defection to the ruling party.
The BCP’s early move to send its vice-president Dr Kesitegile Gobotswang to tour and encourage the Okavango constituents not to despair in the wake of departure of the MP appears to be a plausible strategy of retaining the constituency in 2019.
Obviously Arone’s defection has hurt the BCP. There are reports that before his departure, he was already recruiting some of his erstwhile followers to defect with him.
By not taking Arone’s defection lightly and delegating high profile leadership personnel of Dr Gobotswangs’ clout, the BCP seems on course to assuage its members not to be distracted by Arone’s departure.
The other encouraging factor is that the four councillors in the constituency have rejected Arone’s overtures to defect with him.
There are media reports that Dr Gobotswana and his team did a sterling job of calming down the worried voters in the constituency not to be distracted from BCP’s policies and objectives despite Arone’s departure.
It was important for Dr Gobotswang and his team to calm the constituents before the BDP pounced on the constituency and recruited BCP members who were already feeling hard done by Arone’s defection.
Ordinary BCP members are also happy that their party leadership has not taken Arone’s defection lightly. Even BCP members not authorised to speak to the media are happy that their party leadership is doing all in its power to calm the constituents.
Furthermore, in addition to holding its forthcoming conference in Shakawe at the end of July, the BCP should be able to tour the constituency and assure the voters that all is not lost as a result of Arone’s defection to the ruling party.
“If Arone ever thought he was very influential in the constituency he should forget it. The rank and file of the party in Okavango should heavily punish Arone in the 2019 general election if by any chance he is to represent the BDP. The people of Okavango should spurn overtures to be bought like their area Member of Parliament who sacrificed principle for personal benefit. Okavango people should be alive to the fact that the economic wealth promised Arone by the ruling party will not extend to them,” said a BCP activist enraged by Arone’s defection.
His view is that Okavango people should take a cue from what people in Borolong did when they rejected Eric Molale in the Borolong constituency. “Barolong stood firm with the BNF and punished BDP in the bye-election. It showed they were principled enough and understood that political opportunists were not worth their vote. Okavango people should follow suit in the coming general election”, said another BCP activist.
The activist urged the party to find a credible replacement with high political clout to retain the constituency in the coming election.
“Okavango people should stand firm. They should also be aware that there is high possibility of the BDP losing power in the coming general election as opposition parties seem eager to unite and defeat the BDP in 2019. All the parties under umbrella coalition should work extra hard to ensure that the envisaged opposition unity talks do not fail again as they did in 2014. Right now the BDP is ruling with an extremely reduced popularity of less than 50 percent. This goes to demonstrate that Batswana are fed up with the BDP and are yearning for regime change. It is clear that clear that the country’s economic fortunes are on a free fall and a new innovative, creative leadership is needed to steer the economy for the future benefit of the coming generations,” said the angry activist.
He added that it should not only be Okavango people who rise to the challenge and ensure the BDP is defeated come 2019.
His view is that the BDP has run out of ideas and the country is in dire need of new leadership which will be able to improve Batswana’s living standards which have been on the decline.
