Friday, November 1, 2024

BNF should also pull out of by-election MoU

“The BCP President, Dumelang Sareshando, has rubbished the Umbrella initiative by the BNF, BMD, and the BPP saying that the three opposition parties need to move on as their efforts would never bear fruit” [see The Telegraph newspaper dated 23rd May 2012 at page 2].

I wish to commence at the outset by congratulating the BMD Policy Conference held in Selibe-Phikwe on 26-27th May 2012, for having taken a bold resolution to terminate the memorandum of understanding (M.O.U.) between the BCP and the BMD. The reason advanced by Honourable Winter Mmolotsi on Ya Rona Fm radio news bulletins on 28th May 2012, to the effect that the BMD is tired of watching the BCP voting the BDP in the past two by-elections is valid and correct. I say it’s correct because the sole aim of Dumelang Saleshando and the BCP is to de-campaign the Umbrella project as hopeless and useless thing that “would never bear fruit”. Saleshando recently told the media that “Umbrella is a catchphrase and Batswana do not relate to it” [see The Telegraph newspaper at pages 1-2 dated 23rd May 2012]. The intention of BCP leader and his party members has been to discredit the Umbrella project as a failure by voting the BDP in the two past immediate by-elections held in Mokoboxane and Lenganeng wards. Hence, the BMD was right to terminate the M.O.U. it had with the BCP and other Umbrella family political members must do likewise so that the Umbrella must go to Francistown, Monarch West by-election to sell the Umbrella and demonstrate that the BDP political sweet-heart (BCP) is day-dreaming.

The reason why the BNF must pull out of the memorandum of understanding (M.O.U.) is identical with those already alluded to by the Secretary-General of the BMD. I personally experienced the BCP sabotage of the BNF twice this year. I was personally present at all the material times at Mokoboxane ward doing house to house campaign there and saw BCP activists and its 2009 election candidate Mr Letsholo, collaborating with the BDP. I spent days at Lenganeng ward campaigning for the BNF. I have been reliably informed that the BCP led by Mr Prince (2009 BCP Lenganeng candidate) at around or 6 pm just an hour before the polling stations were closed bragged before BNF cadres such as CDe Malatsi Mokhubami by saying that the BNF must forget winning Lenganeng by-election. BNF activists and BMD comrades confronted him and I gather he told them that he and other BCP activists had voted the BDP.

The BNF has been denied victory in the past two bye-elections by the BCP members as shown above. I therefore call upon the BNF Central Committee to treat the dead Memorandum of understanding with the BCP as an urgent matter that deserves to be terminated without any hesitation with immediate effect. The BNF activists want to descend in Francistown, Monarch West ward in large numbers to campaign for another member of the Umbrella family in the upcoming by-election. The Monarch West bye-election will test the strength of the BDP, BCP and the Umbrella family in ghetto. I cannot wait for the titanic clash awaiting the trio in Monarch West by-election. The BNF should not forget that the BCP in 2006 fielded its council candidate in Naledi North by-election while the opposition co-operation talks and M.O.U. were still ongoing. The talks were deadlocked and still pending before the Presidents of BCP, BNF, BAM and BPP when the BCP fielded its candidate to oppose the BNF in Naledi North by-election.

In a nutshell, the BCP has been deceiving the Umbrella family to think that the memorandum of understanding entered into in 2011 amongst BCP, BMD, BNF and BPP was still binding. The M.O.U fell into disuse on the 22nd December 2011. The BCP deceived the Umbrella family to believe its stinking propaganda so that it pretended to be supporting the opposition collective yet on the other hand voting BDP to discredit the Umbrella. Thank you BMD for having wisen up and terminate the M.O.U. I beg the BNF Central Committee and BPP leadership to also terminate the M.O.U. with the BCP. The M.O.U. must only bind the Umbrella family members and no other.

We call the BNF members to prepare themselves to descend in Monarch West bye-election in large numbers to payback efforts extended to the BNF by Umbrella partners in Mokoboxane and Lenganeng Wards. The Umbrella has a chance to defeat the BDP and its political sweet-heart (the BCP) this time around. The BDP was voted in 2009 elections by 423 votes, the BCP by 343 votes, the BPP by 304 votes and the BNF by 34 votes. The Umbrella is confident because this time around the BDP political bride maid (BCP) will be contesting the bye-elections alone. Furthermore, the BMD has members in the Monarch West ward who will add value to the efforts and aspirations of Batswana to see the BDP gone in 2014.

To the BCP President, I say, Francistowners here comes the Umbrella family to heed your clarion call to remove the BDP from power in 2014, and the journey to 2014 begins with the Francistowners. Re tla kopana ko ghetto Dums, as you usually remind us that politics is a dirty game, the time has come to go into the skeletons in your cupboard. To Monarch West voters, sharpen your ears and ensure that you get duplicates for lost voting cards well in time to vote the Umbrella political family in the upcoming by-election.

Yours in struggle to liberate the poor, workers, the youth, marginalized interest groups and traditional leaders from the bondage of capital.

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