A look at BCP under Saleshando leadership
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Monday August 16, 2021 06:00
Saleshando has been the BCP president since 2010 after the retirement of his father, Gilson Saleshando from active politics. When he took over, the party members gave him a clear mandate to ensure that the party should penetrate all corners of the country. Subsequently, as part of the mandate he had a strong desire to steer the party forward and form teams that would help him to revive the party . The new elected central committee then at the Maun conference, was tasked to start negotiations with other opposition parties for possible cooperation.
The teams were to tour the country as part of a robust membership drive and also to attract the youth. Within the BCP, he ensured that women have a representatiion of 30% in all party structures and they should not be challenged when aspiring for parliamentary seats.
BCP members believe Saleshando is an effective leader who could turn around the tables in the 2024 general election. Even if he could not deliver to expectations in the 2014 general election, the members did not ditch him. Many did not believe that Saleshando could lose Gaborone Central constituency as the party was not part of the opposition coalition. This was one of the trying times for the BCP which made the party to introspect at its conference that was held in Kanye in 2015.
The party members the resolved to join the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC). At their Kanye conference, the party gave the leadership a mandate to negotiate with the UDC. Saleshando succeeded in that.
In the UDC, the BCP managed to find stability which was about to erode the party. This is so because the BCP was wounded in the 2014 general election as it lost its stronghold areas.
In the 2019 general election, though the BCP lost some constituencies it had contested in the southern part of the country, it did exceptionally well in the northern side of Botswana through the help of former president Ian Khama. The BCP made history by winning some constituencies it had never won like Bobonong, Palapye, Sefhare/Ramokgonami, Mahalapye West and two constituencies in Maun. That alone revived the party's fortunes. The Khama factor helped the BCP even to recruit some new members in those areas. Meanwhile, the joining of UDC has also brought negative things to the BCP since the party now seems to have left its ideology which is social democracy. The political program of the party which is the recruitment drive has been affected since it has been relying mostly on what the UDC is planning, as such some party structures collapsed in the process. Some members believe that the recruitment drive is not the same as it used to be because there are some political activities that need some UDC structures. Yet others complain that the party president is focusing more on the UDC than his own party.
They also blame him for taking time to disclose some information on what is happening in the UDC regarding the coalition. The members are concerned that the UDC NEC's decision giving Duma Boko powers to determine the election candidates will disadvantage the BCP. Their fear is that BCP might not contest for some constituencies it won in 2019 general elections due to the powers conferred on Boko. For his part, BCP vice president Dr Kesitegile Gobotswang said his party remains a united and well-organized party under the leadership of Saleshando. “It's strength is grounded on consultation and a leadership that is accountable. One of the biggest achievements was the successful merger with Botswana Alliance Movement sacrificing the well-acclaimed dove and the rainbow party symbols.
The 2014 General Elections shook the BCP as the party performed far below all expectations. What was even more devastating was the loss of elections by the party President. As if that was not enough the 2015 Kanye Elective Conference proved to be a challenge. The party went to the conference limping after the 2014 General Elections poor performance,” Gobotswang said in an interview on Tuesday.
He also said when they went to Kanye, the party was divided along those who advocated for working with other opposition parties under the Umbrella for Democratic Change led by him while the other lobby group led by Taolo Lucas pushed for growing the BCP outside UDC. Gobotswana said the latter group lost resulting in defections of most of the famous DITIMA MOLELO team led by Lotty Manyepeza.
However, the party experienced the biggest defections after 2005 when the party lost the former party President Otlaadisa Koosaletse and the former Secretary-General Mokgweetsi Kgosipula to the Botswana National Front, whom were recruited back when Saleshando became president. He continued; “the decision to join the UDC paid off in 2019 General Elections. The party won eleven out of the 18 constituencies under its management. The party leader was back in parliament as the Leader of the Opposition. The BCP recorded the highest number of Members of Parliament since its formation in 1998. We are going to the next elective conference stronger than ever.”