Umbrella is the way to go

Correspondent | Friday January 24, 2014 15:28

The three parties are marching towards the 2014 elections as a unit. Many Batswana are pinning their hopes on the UDC come the elections. Batswana are not worried about symbols they are more worried about what parties stand for and they want change regardless of the symbol used. Symbols are usually wanted by party loyalists who in many cases are outnumbered by ordinary voters.

The UDC is the way to go and I have no doubt that UDC will be victorius in the 2014 elections despite all the challenges it is faced with. The doubting Thomases will get the shock of their lives.

I have come to realise that there are people who treat Batswana of the 21st Century as if they are Batswana of the 19th or 20th Century. Batswana of today do not just vote for a party because of its symbol, no. Batswana in fact are not for party symbols they need proper representation. Ga se maloba mo ne le tonki e ka pegwa kepese ya domi kana ya foranta madomi le maforanta ba bo ba tlhopha ya bone. Those days are gone. Those who still hold that mentality will be judged harshly by history. This is the time for what parties put before the people and the calibre of representation parties offer .

I read with interest a story carried in the Botswana Gazette titled  “Dead End for BNF and Umbrella”. Although the article is misleading it nonetheless carries some important things to note as we march forward in our journey to liberation. Those who read the article might have found themselves wondering as to whether the BNF held a mini congress in Morwa to rescind congress decision OR was it a special congress to reverse the congress decision. The answer is no it was a meeting of some disgruntled members of the party therefore it cannot be said their views are representative of the party position.

The said meeting was not called by the central committee nor any member of the central committee, therefore in all fairness it cannot be said to be representative of the BNF. The most interesting thing was the presence of my colleagues who have been missing in action for sometime (Professor Monageng Mogalakwe and Dr Letshwiti Tutwane). These are indeed interesting times in the history of our nation. We are certainly at the crossroads. YOU either swim with us or you sink.

In any case it is only fair to say people have the right to air their views and to sell their ideas to others but one thing that we should all remember is that the majority view should prevail and once that has happened the minority should subject itself to the majority otherwise democracy cannot fuction.

I write this article being fully aware that the BNF constitution allows for temporary platforms to be there in order to sell the minority view but even under those circumstances it has to be done in properly constituted meetings. I hope this was such a meeting therefore not representative of the BNF views or position. BNF position is known by all and sundry.

I have no doubt in my mind that there are elements within the BNF and to a lesser extent in the BMD and BPP who do not believe in the project but that is normal. Some people in the BNF believe that if BNF goes to the elections without using its old known symbol it will fair badly in the elections. One wonders where they get this feeling from. Let me assure you that the reverse infact is true, that is let Batswana have a feel of a new front and see the results. In actual fact when people need change they do not care what symbol you use, all they need are for you the politicians to tell them what to use to vote for you.

My colleagues will agree with me that I won two elections consecutively using the BNF symbol and the last election I won using my own symbol. Many in the BNF leadership then had ruled me out stating that BNF members will vote for their party and not an individual and that BNF members are used to the party symbol. What then happened? People proved the leadership wrong and the thinking that people cannot change with the times. Many BNF members left e ntsho e leroba and voted a unique symbol to make sure their representative of choice goes to parliament. Indeed some 1,000 loyalists voted for the BNF represented by my colleague Otlaadisa Koosaletse.

Bagaetsho, Ma BNF, Ma BMD, Ma BPP the nation is behind us that is for a fact. Stop disappointing Batswana by saying negative things about your project, this is the time to sell the project not to be asking questions as to whether the project is viable or not as we all know the project is viable. Remember our civil servants have no one to lean on other than you the UDC. You are their last hope and the enemy is watching these developments with high interest. The youth are pinning their hopes on the UDC. First time voters are looking forward to the UDC.

We have sold the Umbrella to Batswana for a long period of time and Batswana have accepted the project as a noble idea, all Batswana are waiting for is the umbrella symbol. The colours of the Umbrella are all Batswana are waiting for give them that and see the excitement and appreciation of the coalition. We cannot disappoint Batswana at the 11th hour unless we want to commit suicide.

It is interesting to note that one of the people who attended the Morwa BNF meeting is quoted to have said it took BNF 45 years to sell their brand but people still vote for BDP. This person’s sentence is loaded and can be interpreted differently by different people, it might mean the brand is not saleable or just not appealing so you have to rebrand and see what happens. Why would you like to stick to something that has not worked for you over 45 years? In any case under UDC parties remain with their symbols we use a different symbol for UDC. Mind you the oldest brand is that of the BPP they can also claim to have used the brand for over 50 years. No one is interested in killing any party’s brand all that is being said is let each party for purposes of 2014 elections shelve our symbols and use Umbrella as our symbol.

In politics hard choices are made at times and these choices we have made that is why BCP left and if anyone had the idea of leaving that was the time not now. At this juncture you may stick to the brand and go down with it or we swim together towards victory. When we shall have crossed the river we will sit and evaluate but not before we cross that river. Umbrella is the way to go. We are tired of vote splitting. Let us use one symbol and stop confusing Batswana. Our only hope and indeed of many Batswana is the umbrella.

I happened to talk to a friend of mine in the BNF he does not want to hear about going to elections without the BNF symbol, he even threatens that if BNF goes without it he would rather contest as an independent candidate. The dilemma is if he contests as an independent will that be BNF then? I think there is confusion in some people’s minds they think Batswana can vote for them using their newly found symbols but the same Batswana cannot do that for UDC.

Bagaetsho let us stop cheap politics of symbols and we miss the bigger picture. Let us stay focused for the future is bright for all of us if we stay united. What we need to do now is to educate our masses on how to vote and the colours of our umbrella. Batswana know that we are UDC .

Many constituencies including my constituency Lobatse have started preparations for launching of UDC candidates and therefore any other story will be suicidal to the struggle and should be condemned in the strongest terms possible.

Lastly let me urge my comrades in the BNF and Bakaulengwe mo BMD and of course my Cdes and Mks in the BPP to be focused and not allow themselves to be derailed by what they read in the newspapers. To the voters, I say keep your eye on the ball too as the enemy is doing everything in its power to kill your project. These are trying times that need true peoples representatives and those who represent their own selfish interests to show up. Those who have been with us but supporting the ruling party are scared that their party might lose therefore they too shall do everything in their power to make sure their party stays in power. It is therefore upon us Cdes to make sure that the project succeeds. It therefore needs commitment and sacrifice. Sacrifice our resources and our time by working for the movement tirelessly.

Let us stick together and not allow the enemy to disintegrate us. United we stand, Divided we fall. Ha re kopanyi re tlaa fenya. Victory is certain. Why should you live in fear of the unknown for you will never reach your destiny unless you concur fear.

Martin Luther King  once said if you live in fear you can not claim to be a free man. Let us stand up for UDC and be counted. “A ya saba amagwala”

 

The struggle continues

Yours in struggle

 

*N.M.Modubule is BMD

Chairperson and former

BNF chairperson