Opposition Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) will strengthen its peaceful marches across the country following expected release on Wednesday of medical reports about the controversial death of the party’s Vice President, Gomolemo Motswaledi.
The UDC leadership is expected to call a press conference on Wednesday at which head of the Umbrella, Duma Boko, will release the much-anticipated results of the postmortem on the death of Motswaledi.
The Gaborone Central constituency candidate met his untimely death, in a widely speculated staged-managed car accident along Ramatlabama-Pitsane road ahead of what is envisaged as a fiercely-contested national elections scheduled October 24.
Motswaledi supporters point accusing fingers at his rivals, including President Ian Khama, whom they argue are hell bent on weakening and eliminating their party leaders from the race.
“The UDC Youth Executive will stage peaceful marches across the country following the reports expected to be delivered on Wednesday by the party leadership,” said UDC Youth President, Phenyo Segokgo.
“The demonstrations will be held every fortnight until the day before national elections…whether we go to the court or not,” Segokgo said.
He was referring to the positive or negative outcome of the medical reports, expected from both the public and private health pathologists employed by the party leadership.
Apart from the suspected freak accident, the UDC will also be protesting over a spate of assaults and breakings targeting their party leaders.
The party says this time around, they will not bother with an envisaged clampdown by police interference echoing the frightening atmosphere in the run up to the memorial service of their leader at the UB stadium recently.
“While we hesitantly marched from Broadhurst through Notwane to the UB stadium hoping to be barred from participating in the demonstrations, this time around our lawyer advised the police will still not do anything with our envisaged peaceful protests,” Sefoke ward candidate in Tlokweng said.
Segokgo cited the Public Order Act as suggested by their lawyer which “absolves us from carrying the permit.”
Besides the reports, Segokgo indicated that the party leadership would reveal the candidate to replace Motswaledi, whom his supporters, including symphathisers in the ruling party, believed was to give his main arch-rival and longtime Gaborone Central Member of Parliament Dumelang Saleshando a run for his money.
Other reports, meanwhile, say Ndaba Gaolathe has been chosen as the late Motswaledi’s replacement, both as UDC vice president and president of the BMD.
Motswaledi was banished from the ruling BDP, including contesting the constituency, ahead of the 2009 national elections, following his challenged on the presidential powers bestowed on President Ian Khama.
By the time of his death, the BMD president had forged the UDC coalition party between the opposition Botswana National Front and Botswana Peoples Party.
Motswaledi was to face the BDP’s candidate and Specially Elected councilor, Rupert Hambira, and BCP president Saleshando in the race for the Gaborone Central constituency.
