UDC, BNF on trial
Ryder Gabathuse | Monday June 16, 2025 12:10
Since last year’s October historic polls that condemned former president, Mokgweetsi Masisi-led Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) to the political gutters after 58 years of continuous rule, the Boko administration has been preoccupied with an elusive turnaround strategy that has been giving the UDC government a chase to lead. Government efforts to capitalise on emerging headways have not been holding as the deep financial abyss in public coffers seems hard to fill.
The UDC government also inherited a problem, susceptible diamond-dependent economy that has been battered by the volatility of the global diamond industry, where non- purchase of the glittering stones leaves Botswana with cash flow issues to pay suppliers and even salaries for public servants.
From some quarters, commentators have a strong feeling that Boko is seemingly looking ahead to the second five-year term that will be contested in the 2029 General Election, but he doesn’t seem to be preparing himself well for his first five-year term in office.
There seems to be a political mountain that is emerging that Boko has to climb and descend before things spill out of control. This seems to be the biggest elephant in the room for Botswana’s President and could even determine his future fortunes at both the party and government.
Odds have also been conniving against Boko’s leadership. The President has been preoccupied with his endeavours to help the beleaguered State recover from its financial quagmire inherited from the previous ‘extravagant’ regime led by Masisi.
On the other hand, at the Botswana National Front (BNF), Boko’s primary party, which he is also president has been experiencing internal challenges ahead of its elective congress billed for Palapye in July. The party is saddled with an elusive appeal for a compromise as the party goes to its elective congress, and the parties are yet to embrace a compromise that is meant to bring elusive peace to the BNF, which is a senior partner in the tri-party coalition. Other coalition partners include Botswana People's Party (BPP) and Alliance for Progressives (AP). A compromise for BNF contesting groups could avert animosity that often characterises party operatives pre and post the elections. The BNF constitution permits lobby groups through the temporary platforms that it encompasses. A massive change in the current party leadership might affect President Boko’s plans at the party level. Any leader is accorded a choice that he is comfortable serving with or otherwise. Some of the party operatives contesting the impending elections serve in the Boko-led Cabinet and are also MPs. As the State and party helmsman, Boko’s strength is also traceable to those who serve under him.
Palapye, the venue for the elective congress, is not just an ordinary place for the party's impending event. The fast urbanising village (Palapye) is centrally located in the middle of the country. Politically, Palapye is a hoodoo place for the BNF, especially after an emotional congress in 1998 that saw factional fights leading to the birth of the now official opposition party, Botswana Congress Party (BCP). This is where the UDC leadership witnessed the BCP failing to agree to a condition of no elections for the UDC leadership, amongst other things. The BCP would later silently exit from the UDC, with some of the party’s loyal operatives sticking to the UDC and automatically exiting the BCP after they were expelled.
Dr Never Tshabang, Dithapelo Keorapetse, Onneetse Ramogapi and David Tshere. Legislator Kenny Kapinga was initially with the above quartet of legislators but later withdrew his intention to remain at the UDC.
If the elective congress build-up is not well managed, there is a likelihood of history repeating itself as efforts to reconcile the two main contending lobby lists vying for the leadership positions.
A two-five-year presidency is a constitutionally mandated tenure of office for the presidency.
But a political commentator’s considered view this week was that, “I might be wrong for President Boko and the UDC government to acquire two terms, as it seems they will have a tall order.”
Perhaps, this particular political comment is anchored on the reality that Boko and the UDC inherited a bankrupt state which they are unable to resuscitate.
The commentator would then point at the socio-economic, political, and environmental challenges, which he insisted are insurmountable, “and they have not developed a concrete vision, strategy, goals, and objectives to mitigate the problems and challenges they inherited from the BDP regime.”
Commentators generally felt that the current regime wasted valuable time lambasting the previous administration without offering practical solutions to worsening conditions in the country.
Some of the criticisms they levelled against the BDP, “are haunting them because they are entrapped in. For example, Vasco Da Gama ventures (globetrotting), constituency allowances for non-elected MPs, including the President, direct appointment for the tendering process, and others.”
The commentator also has a problem with the State of the Nation Address (SONA) and the President's unending pronouncements, which he claims made it harder for a two-term agenda to be possible.
Meanwhile, retired University of Botswana (UB) politics and administrative studies lecturer, Adam Mfundisi condemned President Boko’s personalised politics which border on political narcissism.
Mfundisi has a problem with Boko's use of the first-person pronoun, 'I', ' 'my,' which he strongly believes personifies self-centredness.
“The politics of personalities or the cult of personality will undermine his electability in 2029. Self-righteousness is no religion, and therefore, he should afford behaviours that don’t border on dictatorship,” notes Mfundisi.
He added: “Collective leadership is what Botswana requires, not wannabe dictator. Botswana is faced with financial shock, and therefore, the political leadership should be cognisant of this reality and adapt. Unending external trips do not reflect our financial woes faced by the masses. “
To Mfundisi, character and leadership matter; hence, the President must walk the talk.
Political rhetoric, the commentator says, should be followed by strategic decisions that would turn around our problems. “The President must spend more time in the country and organise the political leadership across the political divide to seek durable solutions. “
“President Boko, as you alluded, seems not to appeal to the minds and hearts of the Botswana voters. He is elitist, and his unending affinity to the legal profession at the detriment of other professions is worrisome,’ he says.
“The voters will judge the President and the UDC as they did with the BDP. Change of government is no longer a crime or taboo but a norm,” the commentator added.
He insists that change is the only process that brings progress. Foreign trips by the President, like his predecessor, are premised on attracting foreign investment, which has been eluding us for many decades.
Mfundisi feels the trips “hardly produce tangible results but mere expectations and promises. The UDC criticised the BDP and Masisi for the same thing they profess now.”
“ Why is Vasco Da Gama appropriate now when it was evil during the previous regime? Lack of principles and values undermines our democratic development,” he wondered.
Mfundisi insisted that unless some miracle happens, the UDC and Boko will serve one term. He further indicated that the numerous promises, pledges, and pronouncements the UDC makes will not be fulfilled in four years from now.