Politicians are fond of repeating the mantra that politics is a game of numbers. This essentially motivates political parties to obsess with accepting into their folds anything that exhibits the features of a human being. Whereas this is desirable for the growth of political parties in terms of numerical strength, an obsession with numbers could in the long term compromise their reputation and hurt them big time.
Very much aware that political parties are obsessed with the numbers, many political opportunists and turncoats hop from one political home to the other well aware that they shall be given a warm reception. In a democracy, people are free to associate with any political movement of their choice at any given point in time, yet some such political expeditions are mischievous and wicked.
Until recently, the standard expectation in Botswana was for opposition parties to lose some of their members to the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP). It was thus unconventional for BDP members to dump their party for opposition politics and a few who did so ultimately returned to their erstwhile political home.
However, this trend has changed with many BDP members exiting their political home and genuinely seeking refuge in opposition politics. As expected, opposition parties are often too excited and warmly receive such individuals without subjecting them to any vetting of some sort. In fact opposition parties always scramble to accommodate these refugees from the BDP in ways that brand fugitives as paragons.
Certainly there are persuasive arguments to accommodate the asylum seekers from the BDP but opposition parties must at all times exercise caution and avoid depicting themselves as desperate movements that are better off borrowing chancers and traitors from the BDP including obstinate lunatics who are then paraded as high profile recruits. This essay seeks to caution opposition parties against their habits of running ahead of common sense in accommodating some kind of brain-dead lorry drivers some of whom have been dismissed by the BDP on account of their unmatched idiocy.
Whereas it is a fact that opposition parties could hardly resist the temptation of giving membership to BDP defectors who often play victim and pretend to be some local Jesus, it is somewhat discomforting that the defectors are often immediately appointed to key organs of the parties.
Inconsequence, hopeless and seemingly useless feeble-minded fake politicians who never had the slightest chance of making it into the BDP’s choir as well as hooligans whose upbringing made it virtually impossible for them to abide by the BDP’s code of conduct rush to opposition parties licking their lips over the obvious chance to be appointed to senior positions. This is not to suggest that opposition politics are the preserve of only those who have never associated with the BDP but rather to argue that experience shows that many of the BDP defectors use opposition parties as therapeutic homes to cool off and reconcile with the BDP leadership before reuniting with their erstwhile political home.
It is opined that some BDP defectors are politicians of substance and not a single opposition party can resist the temptation of handpicking such quality politicians into key party organs. Perhaps Honourable Kentse Rammidi is a case in point. There are of course many more who fall into this category. In like manner, there are many BDP defectors who are not worth a pitcher of warm piss.
These are people whose addition is only recognized in terms of adding to the figures such that beyond their statistical significance, such individuals’ contribution is negligible. It is therefore worrying that opposition parties are nonetheless often too quick to parade such pinheads as prominent catch from the BDP and immediately parachute them to positions of authority, often ahead of capable, dedicated and long-serving loyal members. This is discourteous and has the potential to destabilize the already shaky parties. Yet, there can be no profit without risk.
Let it be made clear that I am one of those who are always quick to commend and applaud all those who decamp from the BDP irrespective of their level of intelligence and this does not discriminate between those who have been purged for attempting to uphold the virtues of a statesman and undisciplined political rants who have been shipped out in order to rid the party of poisonous elements.
However, their mere defection from the BDP should not make them genius or paragons of politics. They might have some useful information that could be used to hurt the BDP such as special skills at cheating but other than that, many have no special attributes that qualify them for leadership positions or inclusion in key organs of the parties.
As a result of their hypocrisy and apparent inadequacies, many such wannabes often resort to petty politicking verging on personal insults. As a way to take credit for being purged by the BDP such politicians often unleash oratorical hell on their former party like jilted dirty scoundrels. Such an approach to politicking damages the already fragile image of opposition parties and presents them as safe havens for ill-bred and uncouth politicians who have been ejected from the BDP for their animal behaviours.
Opposition parties may love to hear the defectors rip into the belly of the BDP but such politics is narrow-minded and flattering because while it makes them feel good, it lacks substance. The use of inflammatory language demonstrates their weaknesses and the stark reality that the defectors who have been born, raised and lived their adults lives at the BDP family suddenly find themselves having to speak revolutionary language. The truth is that many of these defectors are elitist, speculators and opportunists to boot and are certainly not opposition proper but unapologetic charlatans who are always ready and willing to betray anyone to get what they want.
In conclusion, opposition parties are cautioned to stand firm and make it a habit to do some background checks on some BDP defectors to ascertain their real motives. This is a dicey task but it is a definite necessity.
