BDP elective congress: Unite or perish

Mmegi Editor | Saturday August 27, 2022 06:01

This is an exciting trice that brings together party operatives from the length and breadth of the country under one roof, especially after a long pause precipitated by the advent of the outbreak of the ravaging COVID-19.

Meetings like the Tsabong congress often times have their dark sides albeit their purpose is to introspect and usher in new leadership for the party.

It has been a solid two years or more with physical meetings suspended in an endeavour to contain the virus from spreading. With the coronavirus subsiding, the BDP is meeting to elect new leadership. Therefore, it is an opportune time for the party to subject itself to a thorough test and seek elusive peace.

As the BDP settles in the sandy Tsabong where it is expected to colour the entire sleepy village red, the party as a family, will have to tread carefully and not allow divergent political views to metamorphose into unnecessary divisions and animosity.

As history has shown, different lobby lists tend to hold grudges beyond elections and morph into deep and ingrained factions that tend to give the party a torrid time.

It was post the BDP elective congress in Kanye in 2010 when a faction known then as Barata Phathi ultimately morphed into a fully-fledged political party called Botswana Movement for Democracy following disagreements over basic issues.

Pre-elections engagements have not been so peaceful for the BDP leaving the party that is also in power failing to lead by example.

Accusations of intimidation and abuse of power by some State apparatus (as reported elsewhere in this newspaper) have been flying thick and fast, a development that threatens the country’s democracy, unity and peace.

No matter how small these differences could be, it is apparent that the BDP internal wars have often spilt over to the government enclave. It only amounts to imprudence for the ruling party to neglect containment of its differences during elections time as they have often ballooned to adversarial levels.

Therefore, it will not come as a surprise if the party emerges from Tsabong with reports of fragmentation dominating post elections discussions.

As the party that has been in power since 1966, its leader President Mokgweetsi Masisi and his lieutenants should finally come up with strategies that can return elusive peace to the party and its ranks.

The notion of a dominant faction versus a marginal one has rather left the BDP at its weakest point as supported by the poor performance it posted in the last 14 ward by-elections since 2019 General Election.

Although the opposition bloc has also not been in its element, at least it has garnered 11 wards out of a possible 14, sending a strong message to the ruling party.

The BDP spokesperson, Kagelelo Kentse has owned up that his party has not been united enough to win the by-elections. Sadly, he bemoaned a tendency by some party operatives to de-campaign others. It is only unity that can help the party rise from the ashes again and regain its lost glory.

Today’s thought

“Not one of us can rest, be happy, be at home, be at peace with ourselves, until we end hatred and division.” — John Lewis.