Their woes are dimming the glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel to ending the Botswana Democratic Party’s (BDP) 50-plus years of rule.
The BCP and BNF will be concluding their elective congresses on Tuesday. Members of the two parties, even before their congresses, had already been debating challenges their parties are facing, which are shaking the coalition at its very core, putting all their hopes in jeopardy.
UDC National Executive Committee, which was held in Palapye end of June this year, decided to suspend BCP president Dumelang Saleshando and his secretary-general, Goretetse Kekgonegile from the coalition.
The UDC held a parliamentary caucus on July 10, which resolved to strip the BCP leader of the Leader of Opposition position. The road to the caucus was not an easy one, as BCP had instructed its members not to honour the meeting but five BCP Members of Parliament (MPs) defied the instruction. They went ahead to attend the meeting and voted against their leader.
In what seems to have shocked many, the BCP slapped the five MPs; Dithapelo Keorapetse, Never Tshabang, David Tshere, Kenny Kapinga, and Onneetse Ramogapi with suspensions.
While the step BCP took was expected, many seemed to be in shock and criticised the party for the move while others felt it was a wise step.
The challenges that the opposition coalition is facing are not in any way small matters. Rather, they are issues that will most likely take affiliates a very long time to resolve.
Egos have been stroked while many have been bruised and supporters also have joined the fight. They are busy hurling insults at each other whenever they get chance.
Owing to the ongoing feud between former president Ian Khama and the incumbent, President Mokgweetsi Masisi, many opposition supporters and sympathisers saw the opposition coalition reaching the promised land! Sadly, the bickering in the UDC is slowly blowing the chances of snatching power from the BDP away at a very fast rate.
News reports over the past months have been largely on opposition infighting. The issue of trust is at stake, as some of the politicians who thought their own would protect them and stand with them during hard times, found that to be nothing more than a fallacy. Lest we forget, 2024 is around the corner.
Can the opposition recoup and establish trust again within the remaining time before the next general elections? The fights have most definitely also made some of the supporters lose hope in their leaders and getting the supporters’ trust back will take a lot of hard work and time isn’t standing still.
The time for serious decisions is now! If the opposition still wants to unseat the BDP, it needs to re-group and get back to working towards a common goal.
