The Botswana National Front Veterans League has revealed that the party leadership has asked for funding from former president Lt Gen Ian Khama.
In a press release condemning “secret deals and funding involving Mr Duma Boko, the BNF and UDC President” the BNF Veterans League stated that, “one such other deal involves soliciting the support (including financial support) of the former President Mr Ian Khama to endorse UDC candidates, especially in the BDP strongholds.”
The BNF Veterans League is part of the BNF structure sanctioned by the party constitution under Section 44.3.1.
The veterans further stated that, “It is now common cause that the secret dealings and funding have not been sanctioned by the UDC NEC, but are Mr Boko’s own initiatives designed to enable him to attain state power on the back of the BNF and UDC Alliance. It is clear to us that Mr Boko wants to go to the State House at all costs. Mr Boko’s secret deals and funding by South African businessmen is no different from the secret deals and funding involving the discredited former South African President, Jacob Zuma, and the Gupta brothers. It will be fair to say Mr Zuma was to the Gupta brothers what Mr Boko is to Zumaid Moti.”
The BNF Veterans League said they were dismayed and horrified by “secret deals and funding reported to be between Mr Boko and some dubious South African businessmen. These secret deals and funding include, but not limited to Mr Boko’s funding of the BNF Rakops Conference, Mr Boko’s BMW 7 Series sedan with personalized registration DGB 19 GP, a helicopter and a jet aircraft emblazoned across with DUMA BOKO FOR PRESIDENT.”
Indications are that the BNF vice President Prince Dibeela has expressed opposition to the alleged “secret funding deals.”
The press release states: “the BNF Veterans would like to express its unwavering solidarity and support for the BNF Vice President Comrade Prince Dibeela, and the BNF North Central (BaMangwato heartland) Regional Secretary, Comrade Mmolwa for their principled opposition to these traitorous and treacherous secret deals and funding. Both Comrade Dibeela and Comrade Mmolwa are brave, courageous and disciplined cadres of our movement, the BNF, who will not sell their soul for Ian Khama’s pot of soup and diphaphata and or Moti Group largesse. Any dealing with Ian Khama is like supping with the devil. As we are all aware, Ian Khama’s latest overtures to the UDC are not based on any principle, but a desperate act of self-preservation to stop his imminent prosecution for corruption and other crimes which he was shielded from by section 41 of the Constitution.
“We know the expression: there is no free lunch. What we find alarming as the BNF Veterans are the unknown conditionalities of the secret deals and funding, and their implications for our national sovereignty. What has Mr Zumaid Moti been promised in return for his apparent acts of generosity? But having said that we want to remind the nation of the well-known BNF position on party funding. We have over the years voiced our concern about the equally secret BDP funding, and the implications of that for our national sovereignty. All this time, our position was dismissed by the BDP government, because to them what is good for the BDP is good for the country. Now chickens have come home to roost. But the fact that over the years BDP has received donations from secret donors cannot, under circumstances, be used as an excuse for a progressive organization like BNF, or indeed the entire UDC Alliance.”
The BNF Veterans League has appealed “to all compatriots in the BNF and UDC alliance not go for cheap victories that are aided and abetted by conmen and other enemies of our people with hidden agendas. Elections results since 1965 show that the opposition has been gradually eroding the BDP support base, without any secret deals and funding. As we speak the combined opposition popular vote stand at 54 percent, and if it was not for the usual vote split, the BDP will not be in power, with the secret funding that they have enjoyed over the years. What we need to do to defeat the BDP is not some secret external funding by dubious businessmen and a former president running away from imminent prosecution for corruption and other crimes. What we need is a strong alliance, a strong sense of purpose and a credible and disciplined leader.”
