Independent legislator, Guma Moyo, has condemned the opposition parties for throwing salvos at each other following the collapse of the cooperation talks.
According to the Tati East Member of Parliament, it was unnecessary for leaders Gomolemo Motswaledi of the Botswana Movement For Democracy (BMD), Botswana National Front (BNF)’s Duma Boko and Botswana Congress Party (BCP)’s Dumelang Saleshando to attack one another during a radio interview meant to discuss the collapsed Umbrella project.
A distressed Moyo says that the radio interview was unnecessary because it has achieved nothing except to polarize the parties.
“It was really unhelpful of them to go live on air and argue about who is right,” Moyo said in an interview with The Telegraph.
“If they did not agree, the best thing would have been to go to their members and possibly obtain a fresh mandate,” he said.
Moyo could not hide his disappointment over the failure by opposition parties to agree on allocation of constituencies. He said the collapse of the project is an indictment on all politicians.
“People are beginning to ask what is happening with the current crop of politicians…we are now seen as power hungry, self-seeking and greedy,” said Moyo.
He added that Botswana’s political parties are characterized by a lot of instability and that the ongoing bickering in the opposition and ruling party was starting to expose Botswana’s politicians.
“This is happening during trying times and people are starting to see that what we have is a leadership vacuum,” he stated. “The whole issue of modern politics must be seen from the point of strengthening democracy,” adding that the proposed Umbrella, had it worked, could have greatly strengthened Botswana’s democracy.
“What is desirable is to reduce the number of opposition parties and ultimately we will have another Denmark,” he said.
He argues that with the failure of the Umbrella, Batswana’s only hope for proper representation in the 2014 general elections is to vote strong candidates.
“Batswana are well informed and they will be looking for leaders,” he said.
Moyo also criticized the opposition for attaching too much importance on seizing state power instead of preaching policies and programmes they intend to introduce once in office. He said the parties were busy distributing the ‘gold even before the treasure hunt’.
“It cannot just be unity for the sake of removing the BDP from office, people want to know what your policies and initiatives for Agriculture, Education, Health and other sector are,” he stated. “The young unemployed guys will not vote for you because of the rhetoric you speak at the rallies but rather because you have given them an alternative,” he said, adding that the opposition had given the BDP ammunition. “I doubt the BDP is merely there waiting to be slaughtered.”
