Dear Editor
It is inevitable that the level of politically motivated statements by some opposition parties in Botswana is bound to be high and intense as a result of the open and democratic nature of our system.
That is always a welcome development.
It is, however, regrettable that the BCP of a certain Dr Gobotswang and Honourable Dumelang Saleshando seek to heap misleading and misplaced statements on their political rival, the BDP, especially through the media.
In the Sunday Standard of August 29, 2007, I wrote an article appealing for political tolerance, trust, respect, peace and further advised politicians to conduct themselves in a professional manner. In other words they must see themselves, more importantly, as people with responsibilities and rights.
Unfortunately, the BCP, rather than coming up with alternative policies to those of the BDP, especially Dr Gobotswang and Hon Dumelang Saleshando, they are busy instilling fear, mistrust, anger and hate.
They seem bent on doing everything possible to plant seeds that will bring about politics of confusion and division.
Although it is their constitutional right to express their political views and thoughts, including by way of expressing their misgivings about the ruling party and it’s leadership, it is unfair for them to continue to promote hate and constantly make political statements aimed at frustrating all the efforts and good initiatives by the political party that has been constitutionally elected into governance.
The role of our country’s opposition parties must be to bring political sanity and voice to men and women of Botswana, to come up with alternative policies that will benefit Batswana.
I think the problem with BCP is that they think it is more important to hog the international limelight by trashing their own country than engaging in honest debate.
It appears as if the BCP vice president has a fundamental problem of dealing with facts.
Witness his outrage at the “Mo Ibrahim award” recently given to our former president, Dr Festus Gontebanye Mogae. He seems to suffer from BDP derangement syndrome. The reasons for awarding our former President were clearly stated but he chooses to ignore the facts. He is a man who doesn’t want facts to spoil his story. I find it very bizarre for a whole university professor to disregard facts. I pity his university students. University of Botswana students are unfortunate to have this man for a professor.
The lesser said about Honourable Dumelang Saleshando’s infantile ranting and ravings in parliament about the President’s State of the Nation Address the better. He couldn’t have sunk any lower.
MacDonald Peloetletse
