Once beaten twice shy. If this jaded clich├® applies to many politicians, Robert Ntjelo Muzila appears to be none of them. Trumped twice by Charles Tibone in 2003 and 2008, Muzila is vying to come good this time around as he heads down the well-worn road to the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) primaries.
In a wide ranging interview, Muzila, who lost narrowly to Tibone in the last primaries, is optimistic of victory this time around. He is among the seven democrats who have submitted their names to the party’s electoral board and are awaiting the outcome of the vetting process ahead of the October 12 primaries. He is vying for the Tati West parliamentary seat.
Others who this publication gather have applied to contest in the Tati West constituency include former Francistown City Mayor Peter Ngoma, Nlaphwane Ward councillor Farai Bonyongo, Makaleng Ward councillor Damian Thapa, Reverend Biggie Butale, former Botswana National Front activist Dr Badziili Nfila and Sesa Nyathi.
Nyathi is understood to have relocated from the Tati East constituency after her home village of Jackalas No.1/Ramokgwebana ward was moved to the Tati West constituency in the recent delimitation.
The opposition is expected to be represented by Botswana Congress Party’s Dr Phillip Bulawa and Botswana Peoples Party’s Richard Gudu under the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) banner. To prop up its presence in the constituency, the BCP has opened an office in Masunga to facilitate interaction with the electorate.
As Muzila aspires to represent the BDP in the coming general election, his road to victory in the primaries might not be smooth sailing. Some in the constituency and the party question his loyalty, alleging that he defected to the splinter Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD) before making a u-turn.
Undeterred by the allegations, Muzila vouches his unadulterated loyalty to the black, red and white colours party, maintaining the rumours are being spread by people who are threatened by his previous inroads into the constituency and have resorted to spreading the defection fallacy.
“I am quite aware of the fallacies. People threatened by my candidature go around telling our fellow democrats that I once defected to the BMD. That is a false accusation which doesn’t bother me because those spreading the rumours are people who have always been guilty of mudslinging. They are good at talking ill about other candidates instead of telling them what they have on offer for them. Our party president has warned democrats against the tendency of soiling others instead of concentrating on what they will do once elected. The politically barren have resorted to this kind of cheap politicking. The truth of the matter is that I never at any rate resigned from the BDP. I have always been a member of the BDP and I never resigned. Records are there to prove that I never tendered a resignation letter to the BDP,” said Muzila, adding that he was also shaken up by the internal party squabbles that led to the formation of the BMD.
“It was a turbulent time which hurt everybody who stood by the party. I was equally hurt as was everybody else who cared for the future viability of the party,” said Muzila, as he dismissed the allegations.
What might also work against him is the perception by some in the party that he is arrogant. To this he replied that it is unfortunate that when people assert a certain position, they end up earning such derogatory labels.
“It is not true. I am not arrogant. It is only that I firmly push my views across. I only stand my ground to the dislike of my detractors. I always listen to other people’s views considerately. This just goes to demonstrate the extent of the mudslinging to suggest that I am arrogant. I am a flexible person who is willing to listen to other people’s divergent views. It is only that I take a principled stand,” he maintained.
Despite his previous consecutive losses, Muzila said he is giving the primaries another go on the back of pressure from some democrats who feel he has a lot to offer in developing the constituency.
The other factor that encourages him is that in the previous primaries, he lost to Tibone by a small margin, which showed that many people in the constituency saw him as a capable candidate.
He maintains that he enjoys a lot of support on the ground and, as such, he can do well in parliament given his vast experience in the public service, especially at the local authorities’ level which he left as chief executive officer.
Armed with a Master’s Degree in Economic Development, Muzila fancies his chances of beating his opponents, especially that as a person who was born and bred in the area, he comprehensively knows the socio-economic challenges bedeviling the area.
“I am best suited to advance the aspirations as well as deal with the challenges afflicting the people of Tati West. I have always been on the ground and interacted with the communities to understand their problems. I am conversant with the economic, development and political challenges of the area that needs to be addressed. Given my educational background in the areas of public health, as well as having worked for the international community at the UN’s World Health Organization, leverages me above the rest of the candidates. I have also been instrumental in the development of sports, especially football as I am a former BFA deputy secretary general,” said Muzila confidently.
Among the challenges that he would like to see addressed in the constituency is the upgrading of the road network in order for the area to attract investment and solve the rampant unemployment, especially among the youth.
He said top of the agenda for the constituency should be the economic empowerment of the youth as the future leaders of the constituency.
“It is very worrisome that there are a lot of government programmes which the youth of Tati West are not benefitting from. We need to mount an intensive public education campaign on the available programmes to ensure that the disadvantaged youth access them optimally,” said Muzila.
On the road network development, he bemoaned the sorry state of most roads in the constituency, adding that road infrastructure is a prerequisite for economic development that should not be allowed to lag behind.
Asked how he would be able to lobby the government to fast-track the road network construction in the constituency at a time that the economy has not yet fully recovered from the last economic recession, Muzila said government is not bankrupt as there are a lot of other developments taking place elsewhere.
“It will be my responsibility as area MP to lobby and convince government to prioritize our development agenda. There is no reason why Tati West should lag behind in development. It needs people of the right caliber to convince government when deliberating on issues that inhibit economic growth in our area,” said the politician.
He added that it is important for the area to have an MP who can interact with the international community and bring it on board to assist in the development of the area. “The private sector as well as the international community can be lobbied to assist in the development of other projects of economic importance. They are always willing to partner with government as long as they are convinced on the benefits that their involvement will bring to the communities. I have worked for these agencies and know how they operate and what they need to be brought on board to partner with government and the communities. This is why I feel I am best suited to represent the people of Tati West. I have worked for international organizations and will use my previous experience as leverage,” he emphasized.
He is aware of the onerous task that awaits him in his adventure of becoming Tati West legislator acknowledging that representing people is on its own a challenge because one has to balance constituency needs with national needs because the development of the entire country should always be at the forefront of the national economic agenda of any given country. This calls for an equitable distribution of resources such that no other area is marginalized.
On the political challenges, Muzila reckons that although initially the North East District was an opposition stronghold, the late Chapson Butale managed to change the status quo by entrenching the BDP.
“The BCP has of late been making serious inroads into the constituency. The trend has to be reversed, and urgently for that matter. My main aim is to build the party in the constituency and consolidate it as a BDP stronghold. BDP has of late been witnessing cracks in the constituency and the situation needs to be urgently mended. The constituency needs a dedicated person to re-brand the party and restore it to its past glory. It is worrying that some wards, which were initially our strongholds, have shifted allegiance to the opposition. It is these challenges which encourage me to offer myself to re-brand the party. I know I am capable,” said Muzila.
The other area of concern is land shortage in the North East and Muzila vows to convince government to acquire more land for the area decrying that although the inhabitants of the area are farmers, they are inhibited from plying their trade due to land shortage.
To this end Muzila said it is imperative that freehold land be acquired by government from present owners and converted to communal use.
The other challenge that Muzila reckons should be tackled is the rampant crime which is causing sleepless nights for the people of Tati West, given its proximity to troubled Zimbabwe. He suggests that the police should use horse patrols to combat crime.
He said there is also need for boarding facilities in the secondary schools in a bid to improve the performance of the students, some of whom are forced to walk long distances to and from school.
Although a pastor himself, Muzila is concerned about the mushrooming of bogus churches whose sole purpose is to rob Batswana of their hard earned money.
He said as a former councillor, his record is there to speak for his past achievements and there is no reason why people should doubt his capabilities to represent them at the higher level of parliament.
