I am one of those people who would like to see the opposition get stronger, for the sake of Democracy.
In 2010 Botswana witnessed the appearance of a phenomenon hitherto unheard of: the break away faction from the ruling party BDP called Barata-Phati to form the Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD). There was commotion, youth comprising of young adults, women, men and children were crisscrossing the country; creating a wave about a new promise. They were verbose, proclaiming a new age ÔÇô a golden era ÔÇôthe orange revolution. They were decreeing the BDP as corrupt, senile, senseless, and dictatorial. They were saying that its ineptitude had transformed Botswana into another Nazi-Germany where the DIS was the brother of the Gestapo. And that now they would champion change, they would no longer tolerate Militarization. And henceforth the ‘talent’ that had divorced itself from its inept mother would liberate us all. They would destroy, rebuild and render everything old as redundant, they would reject all that was dear to their estranged parents, and they would bring about equality, freedom of expression, new and real values in place of the out-dated and false BDP ones. And they would build the economy to become the envy of the world.
Here, Ludwig Von Mises would say about them: ‘The inflated verbiage of these men and women was only a poor disguise for their lack of any ideas and of any definite program. They had nothing to say but this: We are young and therefore chosen; we are ingenious because we are young; we are the carriers of the future; we are the deadly foes of the rotten bourgeois and Philistines. And if somebody was not afraid to ask any of their followers what their plans were, they knew only one answer: Our leaders will solve all problems.’
According to Mises, it has always been the task of the new generation to provoke changes. But the characteristic feature of the BMD was that they had neither new ideas nor plans. They used peace signs, wore colourful and well-designed attires (putting the same wine in a new bottle) and called their action the orange revolution precisely because they lacked any program which they could use to give a name to their endeavours. In fact they embraced entirely the program of their mother party. They did not oppose any BDP policies, dogma, or oppose some of the members’ corrupt practices (some of them who were their friends). Their revolutionary radicalism was nothing but impertinence, lack of discipline and frustration with Khama; it was a phenomenon of a prolonged political immaturity. And they lacked ideological content. The chiefs of their movement were bitter and narcissistic. Many of them were affected by a dark hunger for power and recognition; and they were either flamboyant or hype men who overstated their own influence. Most of them did not excel in any field of activity or could contribute anything to human progress. Their names will be forgotten; the only trace they will leave behind will be the insults they hurled at others.
Most of their followers were quite different. They had one aim only: to get a job as soon as possible with the government. Those who operated behind the scenes of the orange revolution are today finicky and timid bureaucrats in the many offices of the Botswana government. They are obedient and faithful to government and ultimately the ruling party and don’t want anyone to ever know that they were once ‘devout’ followers of the orange revolution.
The formation of the BMD was a result of the expression of the uneasiness that young misguided people felt in the face of the gloomy prospects that the general trend towards order offered them. But it was a counterfeit rebellion doomed to failure because it did not dare to fight seriously. They were riding on the wave of youth who sometimes just want excitement, and therefore just want to stir things up.
The leaders on the other hand indulged in rebellious babble and chanted fiery songs, but they wanted first of all government jobs, fame, positions and tenders. And therefore they were just using their followers to leverage for power within the ruling party. Today the Botswana Movement for Democracy’s back is almost broken. Some of its chiefs have retraced their steps and are sitting pretty at BDP. Some have disappeared into obscurity, and the ones that remain are just nostalgic, their hearts are no longer in it because the anger they felt has evaporated, and they are with very little leadership qualities.
However all is not lost. According to one of the greatest strategist, every war is won long before it was fought. One must understand the condition of victory before engaging in a battle. He must not just rashly engage in a battle and hope for a victory. Recently the president of the BMD said in a radio interview that somewhere they were lacking in nutrients. He was right, what they are lacking is a strong visionary leadership, as well as content. Although BMD was formed on false values and principles, on pretences, by an impulsive and rash group, going forward, the upcoming generation must overhaul its current leadership, which in my opinion is obsolete as their only purpose has already been served; which was to form the party. The difficulties and hardships of seeing through a revolution were never meant for them, because they are too used to having it easy.
They lack the prerequisites of carrying a revolution; the vision, discipline, selflessness, humility, patience, skills etc. Now the new comers who have withered the storm and remained faithful to BMD must plan for a future without their current leaders, they must establish their own values, they must be ambitious but pragmatic and concede that they are going to lose horribly in the next election, and therefore must focus on offering Batswana better alternative policies and building a support base.
I would suggest that they start with a good political school, and start their cadres young. A school that teaches cadres to not oppose for the sake of opposing, that teaches them to not just want change for the sake of wanting change even if this change is a bridge to nowhere. There is nothing more cumbersome than a candidate who wants to win your vote by saying that BDP has never done anything for Batswana ÔÇô nothing at all. There is nothing that turns off a voter more than a candidate who is not objective. The correct thing to say is ‘BDP has done some good for Botswana, but what we are saying is there is a better alternative.’ And focus on showing the better alternative. When BDP proposes something that will help Batswana, don’t vote against it and spread propaganda, cheap politics and deny Batswana progress just because you are the opposition. Is it any wonder that BDP is able to walk all over them?
I am not a member of BMD, or any opposition party but do believe that one bad opposition party gives a bad reflection all opposition parties.
