Hell broke loose after it was announced that Khama, who was launching the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) parliamentary candidate for Gaborone North, Keletso Rakhudu was leaving for another assignment.
The masses stormed to the VIP marquee to greet Khama and mobbed him like a pop star. At some stage, his bodyguards and private secretary Isaac Kgosi had to go on high alert.
After shaking Khama’s hand, one ecstatic young man assured him that: “I am not going to wash my hand today because I have touched you”. A smiling Khama seemed to be enjoying the adulation.
The BDP is now cashing on the Khama magic for their election campaign. The VP has been invited to a number of constituencies to launch candidates. With the Btv news crew always on the Khama road show, the VP has become a hot commodity for many ruling party politicians.
During the Sunday rally, Khama was chauffeured in his official Range Rover while his private secretary cruised in a BX Land Cruiser station wagon. Government officials who accompanied Khama also mingled with the BDP crowd.
Addressing the rally, Gaborone Central MP and cabinet minister, Margaret Nasha said the presidents of the opposition parties were violating the electoral laws because they were contesting for elections. She claimed that party presidents are not supposed to stand for parliamentary seats.
Nasha said the opposition leaders are contesting for parliamentary seats because they are aware that they would not win majority seats to enable them to take over power.
She told the rally that there was no need to vote directly for the president, as some of the opposition parties are demanding.
The opposition parties, she said, were making calls for presidential elections just because it has become fashionable.
After the speeches had been delivered, the rally turned into a music “festival”. These days the BDP is spicing their political rallies with entertainment.
The man who provided the sound equipment was promised that he would be given more jobs, courtesy of the BDP. “We are going to create more jobs for Batswana musicians,” the MC announced.
As the Kwasa Kwasa music blared, a popular drunk enthralled the audience with his dancing antics. But he was soon overshadowed by other skillful dancers.
As the rally was about to close, some of the party youth who had had one too many started misbehaving. Some of them openly drank in front of the party elders.
During the rally, the party failed to introduce new members who had allegedly defected from the Botswana National Front (BNF) as it had been promised earlier.
In another development, the BDP will address what has been dubbed a “star” rally at Block 5 on Sunday. Former president, Ketumile Masire will be the main speaker at the rally.
According to BDP officials, the rally would be part of the “star” rallies the party would be staging around the country to boost their election campaign.
