News

We never refused coalition -Saleshando

Onalenna Kelebeile | Tuesday October 7, 2014 10:06

Saleshando
 
Saleshando

 

Addressing a rally during his tour of Selebi-Phikwe constituencies last Saturday, Saleshando indicated that having not joined the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) should not be translated to mean that his party does not want a coalition. 
He said they are already in coalition with opposition parties like Botswana Alliance Movement (BAM), National Democratic Front (NDF), Social Democratic Party  (SDP) as well as Marx, Engel, Lenin and Stalin (MELS) movement. “We entered the negotiation talks with the UDC in 2010 and no agreement was reached until the end of 2011.
“We could not afford to sit for 12 months in negotiations without any progress while we want to move forward,” he said. He said he was amused by reports that President Ian Khama said the opposition would arrest him when they assume power. 
He challenged Khama to tell the nation what he has done to warrant his arrest once he steps down. 
“We cannot arrest him for losing the elections but he must tell us what he did before the general elections because doors of mercy would close down after the elections,” he said. He told a well-attended rally during a presidential bus tour in Selebi-Phikwe West that after elections he would simply ask President
Khama if he is still interested in politics.
“If so, I would gladly endorse him as an opposition leader,” said Saleshando. Saleshando said those who are destined for prison are the once who are embezzling public funds, adding that they have all the evidence to display after the general elections. “There is no offence in losing elections. We cannot prosecute him for that,” he added.
The BCP president said his party is the only party that best serves the interest of workers. He explained that since workers’ issues are complex and diverse, his government will establish a Ministry of Labour so that it would specifically address labour issues unlike the broader mandate of the present Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs. 
He also said BCP is the only party that talks about abolishing the minimum wage and replacing it with a living wage that will be determined by the cost of living. He said this policy would benefit low-income earners. 
“We are the only party that has taken it upon itself to introduce a law that forces all employers to have a pension fund for their workers. We will also ensure that maternity leave is 14 weeks in line with the ILO convention contrary to the current practice where maternity leave is only 12 weeks,’ said Saleshando.
In Selebi-Phikwe East he told voters that time has arrived for factories to set up in Botswana for minerals mined from here to be processed locally to create jobs for Batswana. “We will ensure that our economy benefits the locals. The problem is not the economic status of the country but the ruling party,” he said. 
He regretted that copper mined from Selebi-Phikwe is exported to countries like Norway and India for processing. Even the BCL procurement office is based in Johannesburg and this deprives local entrepreneurs of economic development. “My first role as the head of state will be to relocate those factories back to Botswana,” he said.

Addressing a rally during his tour of Selebi-Phikwe constituencies last Saturday, Saleshando indicated that having not joined the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) should not be translated to mean that his party does not want a coalition. He said they are already in coalition with opposition parties like Botswana Alliance Movement (BAM), National Democratic Front (NDF), Social Democratic Party  (SDP) as well as Marx, Engel, Lenin and Stalin (MELS) movement. “We entered the negotiation talks with the UDC in 2010 and no agreement was reached until the end of 2011.

“We could not afford to sit for 12 months in negotiations without any progress while we want to move forward,” he said. He said he was amused by reports that President Ian Khama said the opposition would arrest him when they assume power. He challenged Khama to tell the nation what he has done to warrant his arrest once he steps down. 

“We cannot arrest him for losing the elections but he must tell us what he did before the general elections because doors of mercy would close down after the elections,” he said. He told a well-attended rally during a presidential bus tour in Selebi-Phikwe West that after elections he would simply ask PresidentKhama if he is still interested in politics.

“If so, I would gladly endorse him as an opposition leader,” said Saleshando. Saleshando said those who are destined for prison are the once who are embezzling public funds, adding that they have all the evidence to display after the general elections. “There is no offence in losing elections. We cannot prosecute him for that,” he added.

The BCP president said his party is the only party that best serves the interest of workers. He explained that since workers’ issues are complex and diverse, his government will establish a Ministry of Labour so that it would specifically address labour issues unlike the broader mandate of the present Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs. 

He also said BCP is the only party that talks about abolishing the minimum wage and replacing it with a living wage that will be determined by the cost of living. He said this policy would benefit low-income earners. “We are the only party that has taken it upon itself to introduce a law that forces all employers to have a pension fund for their workers. We will also ensure that maternity leave is 14 weeks in line with the ILO convention contrary to the current practice where maternity leave is only 12 weeks,’ said Saleshando.

In Selebi-Phikwe East he told voters that time has arrived for factories to set up in Botswana for minerals mined from here to be processed locally to create jobs for Batswana. “We will ensure that our economy benefits the locals. The problem is not the economic status of the country but the ruling party,” he said. 

He regretted that copper mined from Selebi-Phikwe is exported to countries like Norway and India for processing. Even the BCL procurement office is based in Johannesburg and this deprives local entrepreneurs of economic development. “My first role as the head of state will be to relocate those factories back to Botswana,” he said.