The former Botswana Congress Party (BCP) Member of Parliament for Francistown West, Vain Mamela, could not spare his blows against the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) during a BCP rally last week in Francistown, saying that during the BDP’s reign Batswana continue to live in the mist of poverty while the government favours foreigners, especially the Chinese and Indians on businesses.
Speaking during a BCP rally staged at the Francistown Bus Rank, Mamela said that citizen businesses are given less preference in terms of support as compared to the foreign businesses.
“Everyone would agree with me that all the tenders in the country would rather be granted to Chinese contractors rather than locals,” he told the rally.
He said that the Chinese companies are given multi-billion tenders while the locals were given contracts to sell cellphone airtime and sweets as they are not given any support by the government.
He continued to say that it is amazing to realize that the government is even introducing Chinese language to be taught at the University of Botswana while indigenous languages have long been trampled upon and disregarded.
“It is not long before we even have Chinese nationals becoming Members of Parliament and chiefs in our villages,” he said to BCP members who burst out a roar of laughter.
Mamela attacked the BDP government saying that it is a party that is already approaching its demise as has been evidenced by its core politicians splitting from the party.
He further said that the Party has continued to betray its voters and is slowly going down the drain.
Mamela said that under the leadership of the BDP, there has been a lot of maladministration, which has also been evident with different Ministers being dragged to court on corruption charges.
“We experience it every day where Ministers are always in court for corruption,” Mamela said.
He attacked President Ian Khama, saying that when he assumed power in April 2008, many Batswana expected miracles from his leadership, only to be subjected to misery.