At their congress during the President holidays, the Botswana National Front (BNF) made announcements of assurances on their dedication towards opposition cooperation. The delegates made a unanimous call towards opposition cooperation which would see all opposition parties working towards a common goal and in unison, in an effort to unseat the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP). Infact the BNF is reported to have assigned their new leader, Duma Boko, to lead the committee that will be mandated to work on the modalities of opposition cooperation.
The BNF went further to demonstrate their seriousness towards opposition cooperation by sending a member of their Central Committee to Maun where he gave a solidarity message at a congress of the Botswana Congress Party (BCP). In Maun, Moeti Mhwasa,who was sent by the BNF, spoke of the need to forget the past and concentrate on the future. He told BCP supporters that as the BNF they were ready to embrace them. He said they were more than ready to forgive and forget the Palapye incidents which led to the formation of the BCP after some people defected from the BNF out of misunderstandings. I listened to Mhwasa and for once thought to myself, “at long last sanity and logic prevail in the BNF.”
At the same time the BNF was preaching opposition cooperation in Mochudi, the same gospel was being preached by the BCP in Maun. The Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD) hopped between Maun and Mochudi to add their voice to the chorus. The three political parties had everyone who believes in opposition cooperation smiling at the hope of a successful cooperation after the collapse of the first attempt which was squarely blamed on the BNF for applying big brother mentality towards the project. After it has become clear no single opposition party can single-handedly wrestle power from the BDP, people who are now fed up with the BDP rule had reason to smile when the three main opposition parties embraced each other over the long weekend.
I, for one, have always been under no illusion that opposition cooperation would be smooth sailing. As much as I believe cooperation can be achieved, I know there will always be stumbling blocks when it comes to the realization of this concept as some people would look at it as a way to block their political ambitions. Opposition cooperation means people yielding for others when vying for political office. It means other parties rallying behind the other and foregoing their right to field candidates who might give unnecessary competition to fellow opposition party candidates. It’s a fact all political activists yearn for power and it becomes difficult to convince a BNF member to give way to a BCP member or to stop a BMD member to rally behind a BNF member and vice versa. Opposition cooperation can only be achieved through level headedness. Greed and hunger for power have no place in the cooperation recipe. Personal gratification, arrogance, hatred, egos, grudges and bitter rivalry can only lead to the collapse of opposition cooperation even before the parties come to the table.
Like I already mentioned, it is widely believed the BNF is to blame for the unsuccessful attempt towards opposition cooperation in the past. Surely the BNF cannot afford to be the odd one once again. Ok, they can afford to, but if they really want to be seen to be serious about this cooperation project, the onus is upon them to not only be serious but also be seen to be serious. This they can only be achieved by burying the hatchet with everyone they have had problems with in the past.
The BNF must guard against being vengeful and holding grudges against people who differed with their past leadership. Reports on the ground point to a continuing war between Lobatse MP, Nehemiah Modubule and his former party, the BNF. It is suicidal to the cooperation project when the two are still engaged in bitter rivalry at the time when all talk is about opposition cooperation. Instead of investing their energies towards this noble gesture of national importance, the BNF is on the warpath with Hon Modubule. This should be condemned at all costs. This has to be nipped in the bud before it gets out of hand. Cool heads must prevail. BNF leadership must arrest this situation which if not handled properly and in time, will compromise cooperation of opposition parties. It is unfortunate to learn of reports that some BNF members went to Modubule’s constituency to discredit him and his newly found political home, the BMD. From the tone of most speakers at the Lobatse rally, the BNF is still angry at Modubule’s choice to join the BMD. Being a truthful person that I always strive to be, I have no problems when one party discredits the other. That is the name of the game. However, I have strong reservations towards the authenticity of BNF’s commitment towards opposition cooperation when they can go all out to attack a partner they want to fool us into believing they are ready to embrace and work with.
The BNF should desist from looking at other opposition parties as competitors. The BNF should not feel threatened by the existence or even growth of other opposition parties. The BNF must take the growth of other opposition parties as a growth for all opposition entities in the country. They should not even be threatened that the new kid on the block has outnumbered them in parliament representation. It is a painful observation that the BNF fortunes have dwindled quite significantly in the recent past. The recently inaugurated leadership of the BNF need not focus on why the party lost public appeal but rather should focus on how the party can reclaim its glory and integrity. It is also important for other opposition parties to avoid putting the BNF under pressure to join their cooperation project. If the BNF feels it is fine and well equipped to go it alone, their choice must be respected. There is no point in forcing the BNF to bend its rules for the sake of cooperation when deep down their hearts they are not so into the idea. We should not look at the BNF as being foolish if their only interest is to remain in opposition. The BCP and BMD should and can form an alliance without the BNF. The painful part about all this is, a lot of BNF members including many in the leadership are willing to give opposition cooperation a try but unfortunately it is a few individuals who are pessimistic and are destined to wreck the ship before it decks. I call upon Duma Boko to calm the storm before it causes havoc. I call upon Motswaledi to comfort Modubule and ask him to let sleeping dogs lie. On the other hand, Dumelang Saleshando should maintain the peace and stability that has become synonymous with his party.
It will be very disappointing if the three gentlemen, Duma, Dumelang and Gomolemo can fail the opposition cooperation test. With the BDP already embroiled in controversy and disgruntlement at Tonota North, this is the chance to test the essence and relevance of opposition cooperation. The losers in the BDP Tonota North primaries are likely to decampaign their own party to the advantage of the opposition, and this provides a smooth ride to parliament for an opposition member. The BDP is not helped by the fact that some of the BDP members who took the late Baledzi Gaolathe to parliament have now defected to the opposition parties, mainly the BMD. It is my hope therefore, that the three youthful leaders of opposition parties ga ba na go ja error by reveling in their “charmer boy” status.
I have a problem with popular leaders for they tend to become paranoid, divisive, dictators, larger than life figures and out of touch with real issues. I hope the three young men will become lighthouses as opposed to being the paragons of virtue. If they fail, Botswana politics will be doomed for generations to come.
