Dear Editor
The Botswana National Front (BNF) calls out on Batswana to vote Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) in the 2019 general elections as the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) has dismally failed Batswana. The party is currently engrossed in devastating implosion risking the security of this country. BNF therefore put blame squarely on the collective BDP, notably the President who is the face of the party.
President Mokgweetsi Masisi, while Vice President of Botswana and Leader of the House in Parliament, was in the forefront using parliament and BDP numerical strength to create former President Khama’s lucrative retirement benefits. These included official flights and other security details. Khama was not even in Parliament. The BDP strategists and sympathisers are now diverting attention from the real issue and want the nation to believe that the problem is Cde Duma Boko whom Khama alleges to have approached for professional legal advice. The real issue is that the BDP has failed and continues to fail to manage this country and should be removed. This is where the real focus should be.
The BDP as the ruling party is therefore collectively responsible for the shambles and hardships that Batswana are currently subjected to. Hundreds of innocent workers lost their jobs through the BDP reign of terror and machinery, including BDP labour committee, cabinet ministers, the security agents, etc. The BDP cabinet collective cruelty shut down BCL and Tati Nickel mines.. School fees, double shift, parallel progression, scarce skills and all other bad policies were all introduced by cabinet, and not Khama alone. A number of oppressive laws for workers were introduced in parliament, in the presence of Masisi, and not Khama (whom we all know never attended parliamentary sessions). All the corruption and mismanagement of national resources were engineered by the BDP led government as a collective. It was the BDP members of parliament who adopted the electoral amendments that introduced the infamous Electoral Voting Machines (EVM) and cancelation of supplementary registration which would effectively disenfranchise thousands of voters who would have attained the voting age after the supplementary period. Interestingly all these were done deep into the night when the public was in sleep. It was Masisi who stopped parliament from enacting the Freedom of Information law after he promised to bring a better one. He has still not fulfilled his promise
It is therefore factually incorrect to claim that Masisi is now cleaning up Khama’s mess. The BDP, cabinet ministers and BDP Members of Parliament all messed up the country big time. The fault does not lie with Khama alone, nor the former spy chief, Isaac Kgosi but the whole BDP collective.
As part of the national corruption web, and to maintain their grip on political power, the BDP introduced tenderpreneurs, career diplomats, employment opportunities, appointment to senior positions, Board memberships, etc exclusively for the BDP members, families and friends only. This is the mismanagement that the BNF is raising alarm about and which warrants a BDP removal.
The BDP members have repeatedly and consistently reminded Batswana that the party is an exclusive club for themselves, their children and their grandchildren. This flawed position was cultivated to prolong the BDP lifespan and misrule as it protected and concealed the corruption cycle. These children now want to continue the corruption exploits at all costs, including Masisi himself, who reached the echelons of power through family’s historical ties with the BDP, where his late father and brother were cabinet minister and Member of Parliament respectively.
The current Masisi ÔÇô Khama warfare has badly demoralised the public service employees, who are core in public service delivery. Public services are almost at standstill as the two centres of power are now at each others’ throats and senior government officials have aligned themselves with the respective centres, sabotaging each other. Meanwhile, there is an increase in youth unemployment, compromised health system, a collapsing economy leading to massive job losses. There is also high possibility of students’ failure at the end of the year and a looming cabinet reshuffle to punish those sympathetic to Khama.
The postponement of the BDP primary elections, a result of the Masisi-Khama bitter conflict, has led to another quandary as cabinet ministers have now all abandoned their ministerial duties to go and campaign and defend their parliamentary seats or assist their factional teams especially after Khama’s recent devastating visit in Bobonong.
It will not be surprising for the dying BDP to postpone national registration for the forthcoming general elections billed for this September as they are still embroiled in bitter factional fights whose end is unknown.
The BNF calls upon all Batswana to now accept that the BDP has dismally failed and that the only solution is to vote UDC in 2019 general elections.
