Khama still unchallenged
Ryder Gabathuse | Friday April 4, 2014 13:01
In the past, the party’s presidential candidate has not been challenged, despite the processes permitting a contest. Even after announcing the nomination date recently, Mpho Balopi, the BDP secretary general noted that the majority of the regions so far have nominated Khama. But even if all the regions nominate Khama, Balopi explained that it did not bar anybody from stepping forward and contesting the presidency.
“We are not hypocrites and as a democratic government we should be seen to be practicing democracy,” he stressed.
He added that at the BDP, traditionally the power-based transformation has always been seamless. He expected the current party president to complete his two-year term.
But, it was most unlikely that anyone can emerge to take Khama head-on given his (Khama’s) cultish popularity within.
Earlier, there were three men touted as Khama’s challengers - vice President Ponatshego Kedikilwe, former BDP chairman Daniel Kwelagobe and past immediate national chairman Samson Guma.
Then it emerged Kedikilwe was not interested and he intended retiring from active politics at the end of his term in October a happy man.
Some had suggested that Kedikilwe declined the offer because he did not want to suffer the same fate of the 2003 Ghanzi congress defeat at Khama’s hands. He felt set-up, they say, and wouldn’t want to go through that at the end of his term.
But others are dismissive of that, insisting Kedikilwe is not bitter, let alone at the President.
When Kedikilwe left the Barata-Phathi faction Khama nominated him, first to the central committee, then drafted him in Cabinet and later made him the vice president. With age no longer on his side, there is nothing really that can allow him to soil and spoil his good record.
Kwelagobe on the other hand has never presented himself as presidential material but a grassroots man. In fact, the Molepolole South legislator seemed to have found comfort in playing the kingmaker than stepping to the throne.
However, at the 2009 Kanye congress Khama survived what was seen as Kwelagobe’s sponsored manoeuvre to weaken the president’s base.
A region of the BDP, Kweneng that included Kwelagobe’s branch of Molepolole South, took long to nominate Khama hence leaving party diehards speculating the motive.
BDP factions were at their all time high, raising speculation that a faction of the party was bracing to challenge Khama for the party’s presidency. Adding to Khama’s supporters’ woes was that the Barata Phathi faction, then under Kwelagobe leadership, swept the stakes of the central committee positions.
As for Guma, although he was viewed as a meddler who harboured presidential ambitions before he resigned from the party chairmanship, observers have noted that he could not, if he tried, topple Khama.
He is in a clique of youthful tenderpreneurs-cum- politicians that are loyal to President Khama. They include the secretary general Mpho Balopi and deputy treasurer Thapelo Olopeng. University of Botswana (UB) Social Work lecturer and political commentator, Log Raditlhokwa said realistically, there is no one who can challenge Khama.
“It doesn’t seem there is anyone with the fortitude to challenge Khama,” he pointed out. Raditlhokwa observed that it was also already too late to see the emergence of a faction that can confidently sponsor someone to oust Khama.
He said currently BDP politicians were engaged in politics of personal survival, ruled by fear and uncertainty.
As such, he added, it will be suicidal to make such a move under the prevailing circumstances.
“People who could viably challenge Khama from within the party are now working closely with him.
“They would not want to appear as if they are not loyal to their boss,” the political commentator observed.
Another UB academic and political senior political science lecturer, Dr. Emmanuel Botlhale observed that in a democracy any position should be open for contest.
“Historically, what has been happening in the BDP is that, a sitting president has not been challenged.
“However, this does not mean that a sitting president cannot be challenged,” he declared. He conceded that there was talk that some people were positioning themselves to challenge Khama.
While there had been talk, earlier, of possible challengers, Botlhale said, “when you look at it critically, such rumours have proven to be either true and now people have chickened out, or the rumour was never true at all.”