Dow: strong, bold intelligent woman
Pini Bothoko | Monday May 22, 2023 06:00
Since she left her ministerial post last year, Dow who resigned from the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) on Tuesday has been on a war-path with her party. During a press conference that was held at Blue Tree Restaurant, Dow confirmed that she had been charged with bringing the party into disrepute; that she defied a party caucus decision and she disagreed with President Mokgweetsi Masisi with the complainant being Chief Whip, Liakat Kablay.
She stated that she carefully considered the utility or otherwise of appearing before the BDP- disciplinary committee and came to the conclusion that such an appearance, regardless of the outcome, would not lead to a settlement of the real dispute between herself and the BDP leadership.
In August 2020, Dow stepped down from her position as Minister of Foreign Affairs for reasons she had not publicly shared, some of which she said are in the public domain. Across social media platforms many viewed Dow’s resignation as a long overdue move as she is a human rights activists and jurist who strongly believe in the rule of law.
Moreover, she has also been described as a principled politician who believes in applying her mind. One would want to understand who Dow is and Mmegi carried out this article to establish who really this indefatigable fighter is and what does her resignation from the party that elected her signify? The outspoken legislator became popular after she challenged the nationality statutes of Botswana and won the citizenship case against the government back in 1990. This is the case that ultimately ignited her career and shot up her reputation.
In 1982, the government passed the Citizenship Act, a new law that prevented women like her married to a non-Motswana, from passing on citizenship to their offspring.
Then, Dow challenged the law as discriminatory, alleging that the act renders her children aliens in their home country and land of birth. She voiced out that this discriminatory treatment relegated women’s legal status to that of their children and violated a provision of the Constitution that states that every person in Botswana is entitled to fundamental rights and freedoms, regardless of race, place of origin, color, creed, or sex. She argued that the 1984 Citizenship Act was discriminatory because it did not allow children the equal ability to derive nationality from their parents. Dow was married to a Peace Corps volunteer, Peter Dow, a US citizen
In 1997, the Chief Justice of Botswana offered her the opportunity to become the first female High Court judge of Botswana. At the time, with the exception of two, the judges were male, and with the exception of two, the others were white. As a judge, Dow was never afraid to take on the same government she was serving, she remained very progressive, ruling against the government when they were wrong, and creating the reputation of a judge who stood up for justice. As a judge, she even worked rigorously on fixing human rights. However, she did not stop there. After serving as a judge for 11 years, Dow moved into politics where she vied for a Member of the Parliament seat in Mochudi, but lost.
Yet, in 2014, Dow was officially elected as an MP and was appointed the Assistant Minister of Education. In 2019 she was appointed the Minister of Foreign Affairs and in August 2020 she stepped down from this position. Dow first broke ranks with her party in 2021 during her response to the State of the Nation Address (SONA) delivered by President Masisi.
Then, she requested MPs especially those in the BDP to speak with one voice and called for a commission of inquiry into the Directorate of Intelligence and Security (DIS) to find out if it is still in line with its founding Act or not. In a bold statement that many viewed as breaking ranks with the BDP, she said the most fundamental promise the ruling party made to the electorate in 2019 was that it would restore good governance and the rule of law. Again, Dow was once alleged to have defied the party’ caucus on the removal of Kgosi Mosadi Seboko from the Pan African Parliament and becoming the replacement.
Commenting on Dow’s resignation, University of Botswana (UB) political analyst, Adam Mfundisi said her political divorce between her and BDP was long overdue hence the announcement did not come as a shocker to many. Like others Mfundisi conceded that Dow is a principled politician who believes in applying her mind. He stated that her brutal treatment by the party leadership at last years' elective congress motivated her to prepare to exit the BDP. He believes there have been erosion of inner and intra party democracy in the BDP. “Masisi is rooting out all critics and people of conscience. The BDP nowadays has become a cartel controlled by political narcissists who promote political patronage at the detriment of merit. Polarisation and politicisation have been on the rise compromising our social, economic and political gains of the last five decades. Poor leadership at helm of both BDP and government is detrimental to economic, social, and political gains,” he said.
Mfundisi stated that the BDP has promoted political corruption since independence and now it is the time for blowback. He added that this undemocratic process of parachuting BDP operatives into political office has come to haunt it and its leadership. “BDP epitomises corruption and maladministration. Corruption has become a pandemic and leaders like Dow would not tolerate it anymore. We, as patriots celebrate and congratulate her for her bold decision to resign from the corrupt regime. Dow's conscience lies at heart of our nascent democracy. Strict party discipline is an affront to our democratic political culture. Partisan allegiance is stifling robust debate in Parliament. As an independent MP, Dow must shine and show her political mantle. Freedom of conscience enhances moral growth and development,” Mfundisi said. For her part, former Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Botlogile Tshireletso who worked with Dow during her tenure described her as a bold intelligent woman who believes in applying her mind. “I first met her at Emang Basadi leading a programme of women in politics and she later joined politics. I have learnt a lot from her as an intellectual, she is a woman who speaks freely without fear or favour. Dow is one woman worth of being celebrated because she holds a strong character. I am not happy that she has left the BDP looking at her calibre, BDP has lost an intelligent woman but I can wish her well in her future endeavours,” Tshireletso said.