Information reaching Mmegi is that whilst in Botswana for a three-day state visit, officials of the Communist Party who are also senior government officials in China, met BDP officials and spoilt them with cash and equipment.

Reports indicate that the Chinese officials pledged $120, 000 and computers among other things. When contacted, BDP executive secretary Dr Comma Serema said he would not confirm nor deny the reports. He however confirmed that the Communist Party is the BDP’s longtime political ally. He said the party has promised to train young BDP cadres in China.

“We have been to China recently. I was there myself where we interacted with the Communist Party,” he said.

He confirmed that prior to the recent visit, the BDP has been a beneficiary of other forms of assistance from the Chinese. These included donations of a car and computers and training of BDP cadres. Serema said the donations do not compromise the BDP at a time when Chinese companies are getting tenders and giving Botswana government various loans. He added that acceptance of gifts from foreign institutions is not outlawed in Botswana and the BDP like other political parties will continue to receive assistance from outside Botswana when the statutes allow it.

“Just the other day, the BCP received assistance from the British Labour Party and nobody made noise about. We in the BDP were stunned.” Serema however could not explain why his party kept their donation a secret when the BCP made theirs public. “I cannot divulge the nature of our agreements and deals,” he said.

The director of public relations research and information at the Ministry of Foreign affairs, Clifford Maribe, confirmed that a delegation of about 50 people from the Chinese government and the Communist Party came to Botswana on a state visit and partly to meet BDP officials. However, he said he does not know what the delegation discussed with the BDP. The delegation signed a concessional loan agreement with the Botswana government for the construction of Letlhakeng Kang road for P100 million.

Maribe said the delegation led by Guanhing Wu negotiated a Memorandum of Understanding between the National Tourism of China and the Ministry of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism in Botswana on the implementation plan to make Botswana a favoured destination in China.

“China is a huge market and we wanted them to highlight Botswana as a favoured tourist destination,” he said.

Maribe could not shed light on why a state visit was mixed with a partisan affair. He said they would ideally want to know what donations foreign companies make in Botswana but they did not know what contribution was made to the BDP. “That can be answered by Dr Serema of the BDP,” Maribe said.