The attacks on Khama are unwarranted

| Friday June 13, 2008 00:00

Unfortunately some of the attacks came from hypocritical and unsavory characters like Otsweletse Moupo, the embattled and diminished BNF leader. It is a fact that many political pundits in the media have never been comfortable with President Khama being the leader of the BDP and we in the BDP have absolutely no problem with that. That is their democratic right and they should rest assured that under the BDP leadership and in fact under the leadership of President Khama their democratic and constitutional right of not supporting Khama will be protected.   

The BDP however is not going to allow those who do not like their President for whatever absurd reasons to dictate to it how it should conduct its business. What will obviously continue to guide the BDP and its leadership is the constitution of the BDP and the Country. The Central Committee and Khama as the leader of the party have duty to enforce adherence to the Party Constitution by all members of the Party and BDP members expect the leadership to play that role without fear or favour. The BDP constitution under article 13 places responsibility on all members to question or criticise, within the institutional frame work of the Party and within decency and courtesy the activities of any member of the Party, Party officials or the actions of Government. The Central Committee was concerned that Honourable Ntuane's comments in the media were probably over board contrary to the provision of this article. Over and above that Honourable Ntuane is not just an ordinary member of the Party and hence the leadership expects him to lead by example. I would like to commend Honourable Ntuane in realising that phoso e tsalwa le motho mme e be e baakangwe ke motho. Great leaders are made of people like him who are amenable to advice. The BDP members support the Central Committee for dealing swiftly and parentally with the matter and are pleased with Honourable Ntuane for his action of retracting some words from his comments. 

Unfortunately for the media and to their disappointment, Honourable Ntuane's by willingly retracting his statement refused to behave like a parent who is told not to use a metal rod to beat up a child and in turn claims that he is denied the right to discipline his child.
The question that then follows is whether Khama has anyway acted against the provisions of the BDP constitution to warrant that he can be called a dictator and oppressor?

I still fail to understand why Khama has been crucified and abused by the media for leading his Party according to the provisions of its guiding instrument which are the constitution, code of conduct, rules and regulations.  The BDP expect Khama and the Central Committee to provide leadership and counseling to members guided by the constitution. Failure to do that would render our Party an undisciplined Party similar the present BNF partly because of their misguided principles of puophaa.  The BDP Central Committee will not be deterred from doing the right thing by alarmist of Khama's leadership who have been waiting impatiently for anything they could use, whether right or wrong to discredit him. Failure by the Central Committee and the Party President to guide us and instill discipline in the Party will lead us into the path of disaster, anarchy and lawlessness like the BNF. Our efforts to remain a disciplined Party are what make us a great Party that Batswana will keep entrusting with running the affairs of their country.

Only those who are not members of the BDP and do not subscribe to its constitution will call our Party President all kinds of unkind names for enforcing the laws of the Party. It is a pity that characters like Moupo have the audacity to criticise the BDP President for providing leadership, whereas in the BNF they would expel, suspend and sideline those that do not agree with the leadership. It is laughable that a leader whose party has suspended a member for suggesting that the Party is supposed to hold a congress not a conference can lecture anyone on democracy.

In conclusion, I urge all democrats not to allow the enemies of the President Khama and the BDP in the media and elsewhere to lead them into temptation for they shall not deliver them from evils of a distabilised and undisciplined Party. The BDP membership fully supports and stands by our President's principles of Democracy, Development, Dignity and Discipline.

Kentse Rammidi
BDP Deputy Secretary General