With the General Elections fever gaining momentum, we shall start hearing all sorts of crazy stuff from those canvassing for votes. Political counterfeits have crafted their own tag lines, some the dumbest, with the hope of catching the unsuspecting voters unaware. It is therefore paramount that voters are alerted of such characters.
Somewhere in Mogoditshane, Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) politicians are going around spreading a fake theory that only serves to expose their political immaturity. They are telling people that opposition politicians should not be voted because the BDP will not listen to them. They have told people that it will be easy for electorates to get the developments they need if they voted BDP politicians in the coming election. What utter nonsense!
The first question that quickly came to my mind when I heard this, was whether these BDP politicians are implying that the BDP government has been denying people in opposition held areas developments as punishment for their democratic choice? Is it an unpardonable sin to vote for a capable opposition politician? The other question was that I wondered whether these BDP politicians knew and understand the meaning and importance of a multi-party democracy that as a nation we espouse? Do they really appreciate the essence of democracy? Are they implying that there should be a one-party state and there is no need for opposition parties? These questions beg for answers and they remain unanswered.
I also struggled to figure out what could have led these BDP politicians to come up with such a dumb campaign strategy. Is it because of their lack of grasp of politics and a glaring display of lack of understanding of how developments come about? You see, we have a problem with people who have been told that politics is a place of employment and anyone can take their chance, when they have never demonstrated any political clout or acumen! They end up clutching at straws, ba tshwara kwa le kwa.
The fact of the matter is that this line of thinking being preached by the BDP politicians is as crude as its originators, politically speaking. It has no basis and as such, it does not make sense and should be sent out and out. It does not hold water; it is porous, and devoid of any measure of craftiness. It only leaves those who peddle it, badly vulnerable.
I will support my assertion with tangible examples from the area I represent, Mogoditshane North. In 1994, Hon Phagenyane Phage was elected under the Botswana National Front (BNF) as councilor for Mogoditshane North until 1999. Then the Member of Parliament (MP) for Mogoditshane was Mokgweetsi Kgosipula who was also a BNF member. It was during this period that the Ledumadumane Community Junior Secondary School and Moamogwe Primary School were built. There are two tarred roads in the ward that were also constructed during the tenure of Cde Phage. If the assertion by these new entrant BDP politicians had any measure of truth, then the aforementioned developments would not have happened because Cde Phage was an opposition politician.
In 1999, Cde Phage lost the seat to a BDP politician, Rre Tshiping (may his soul rest in peace) after the BNF split. Rre Tshiping became the councilor for Mogoditshane North until 2004 when he too lost it. During this period, the MP for Mogoditshane was George Kgeledi Kgoroba, also a BDP member. It needs to be noted that during the period 1999 to 2004, there is no single development that happened at Mogoditshane North ward despite the fact that the ward was held by a BDP politician. This then simply contradicts the assertion that developments can only come by through BDP politicians. I still say it’s a fallacy that should not be taken seriously by any serious minded person. I wish to continue with my examples to buttress my view point. In 2004, Mogoditshane North got a new representative who was a BNF member, an opposition party. Though I still believe that he did very little considering that he was there during the time when the economy was doing well, he managed to advocate for a kgotla shelter. That is the only development that happened in Mogoditshane North during the period 2004 to 2009. The MP then was Hon Patrick Masimolole of the BDP (still is). The point is, at least one development was brought to the ward under an opposition politician while there was none under a BDP politician.
In 2009, I was elected as the area councilor for Mogoditshane North, I am just about to complete my four years in office and still have over a year to go. I am a Botswana Congress Party (BCP) member, an opposition party, but already there are a number of tangible developments that have come to the ward at my influence. Mogoditshane North can be said to be a suburb! Besides the fact that it shares its borders with Gaborone, the capital city, it also boasts of modern buildings and has a majority of its dwellers as the middle class! It is a residence to a couple of Members of Parliament (MPs), doctors, lawyers, accountants, engineers, etc! During my tenure as its councilor, I have so far pushed for projects that go with the status of a suburb! Many of you might be aware that the first paved road in the whole of Mogoditshane-Thamaga Sub-District is in Mogoditshane North! It was undertaken as a pilot project by the sub-district after we had noted that the continuous graveling and grading of roads is not cost effective! I had insisted that the road (currently paved) is short (about 500m) but quite important because it links Gaborone and Mogoditshane and there is always heavy traffic on it by motorists avoiding congestions in other secondary roads, therefore can be used as a pilot!
We have since as a Sub-District (not BDP politicians), of which I am Deputy Chairperson, embarked on a gradual paving of a number of roads in areas such as Metsimotlhabe (opposition held), Kumakwane (BDP held), Nkoyaphiri East, (opposition held) Mogoditshane Central North (opposition held) and Gabane (opposition)! Funds permitting, other areas will be paved in the subsequent financial years! One of the projects that I also fought for and is again a first in Mogoditshane, is a top of the art recreational park, which is under construction as we speak in Mogoditshane North Ward! This has necessitated the setting up of a Parks Unit within the Sub-District which was not there! I had argued that a recreational park is necessary to provide a place where small children can pass time and avoid going to shebeens to dance to the sounds of jukeboxes! My other argument was that Mogoditshane is semi-urban therefore needs such modern facilities to keep up with the lifestyles of today! I first pressed for acquisition of a plot where the park is being constructed!
I also took a look at the Village Development Committee (VDC) and found that there was a need to inject some innovation and creativity in the way it runs its business! The Ledumadumane VDC as we speak, has an accountant as its treasurer; it has an annual plan which guides it throughout the year; it is embarking on creative ways of raising funds! I have helped the VDC of which I am an ex-officio to acquire a plot for a daycare centre that will be owned and run by the community! That is indeed a great achievement for the VDC under my advice, despite being an opposition politician! Many will also remember the planting of trees (240 of them) in the ward, which I donated as a way of encouraging people to take care of the environment, and help fight the scourge of global warming!
Some of the trees were planted at the Kgotla where Hon Dumelang Saleshando was a guest speaker and also planted a tree! I usually walk with pride in the ward when I see some of the backyard farming projects that I initiated such as indigenous chicken and fruit trees! It gives me great satisfaction! I was not hindered by being an opposition politician to achieve this. I used my head and the zeal to help the people I represent. It needs to be noted that gone are the days when a councilor’s performance was judged by how many funerals he/she has attended; and how many loads of firewood has he/she delivered; or the number of Shake Shakes he/she is able to buy! We need people who can come up with innovative ways that impact positively on the communities they serve, especially in these trying times when we need to do more with less!
On the education front, I started sponsoring a trophy for the best student overall for STD 7s and Form 3s at schools in Mogoditshane North! This gesture is meant to instill the spirit of competition amongst learners by rewarding achievers! At Moamogwe Primary School, I solicited a 100 chairs and a photocopier for the school. All these efforts are meant to facilitate learning! A guard house has just been finished at Moamogwe Primary School, being a good step to ensuring that school property is protected! Am I a BDP politician? No, I am a servant of the people.
It needs to be also noted that sometime last year we started a neighbourhood watch which is meant to curb crime in the area! The membership of the cluster stands at over 70 people! Still regarding security, flood lights are being erected on all four corners of Moamogwe Primary school! This is expected to reduce incidences of crime that happen in dark places! Now, from the above scenarios we can deduce that the BDP politicians’ theory is fake. If I was able to achieve all these within four years of my term, under those challenging economic situations, and I am an opposition politician, where does the notion that developments cannot come to opposition held areas gets its grip? If this claim was true, would I have achieved all that I achieved? If at all there was any element of truth in this claim would I be a deputy council chairperson in a BDP dominated council? If we go by the claims being made by BDP functionaries, would the schools and roads that were built during the time when Cde phage was councilor had happened?
Voters should refuse to be sweet-talked into submission to half baked theories. Elections are a serious matter and a thorough scrutiny of candidates should be done lest we get stuck with make do politicians who take politics for a lottery. It’s time to separate boys from men, counterfeits from genuine. Voters should listen carefully to the lexis of those who purport to be politicians and intensively grill them. They should avoid blindly falling into their traps and their sweet talk. They should objectively interrogate them. Lastly, go out and register to vote in next year election.
Banks Ndebele is BCP local representative for Mogoditshane North
