Resolution of the crossroads status of my political career

Correspondent | Friday August 8, 2014 12:45

 

During my boyhood years I joined a party marked by a legendary commitment to its Constitution with a culture for sober minded dispute resolution and with a recognition of the broad National Principles of Democracy, Unity, Self Reliance, Development and BOTHO as the fountain of inspiration for Government policies as well as being the basis of Botswana’s political culture and social disposition. 

Though the BDP was a constructive Party with a solid backbone and foresight as shown by the National Principles, it was not disposed to blind faith in preconceived doctrines.

It was then, a constructive organisation in which participatory democracy and a pragmatic political approach remained key and cardinal. The BDP could then pride self in the fact that no member had been expelled, suspended, marginalised or treated unkindly for differing with commonly held views.

The BDP then gave equal opportunity to competing ideas, values and opinions as a party and government as the basis for good governance in an open and participatory democracy.  This it has always done because the convention of any liberal democratic organisation demands that the slate from which to discern for the best ideas needs to be generously widened. 

This convention demands a predisposition for mutual-tolerance, mutual-accommodation, mutual enrichment and mutual respect and team work.  This convention, assumes that destiny is collective and therefore action in the direction of achieving destiny should be equally collective. 

This convention assumes that the strength of the whole (in this case the party), draws from its constituent parts (in this case the members and their structures). 

Let me emphasise that, that it is through the prudent exercise of political power then ensured the flourishing of all aspects of the nations life, be it in social, economic or political arenas of activity.

Let me say once again that the economic progress, the social transformations, human development, and the peace and tranquility which exist in Botswana were not haphazard and accidental but the work of men and women, of course, with the help and guidance of God.

It is with the most profound regret that I must mention that the past two or so years have seen a dramatic reversal of these virtues. In the same period, the BDP has become a plodding parody of what it used to be when I joined it.

I have come to the conclusion that even as I grieve for my beloved country I should dare not radiate negative energy that is powered by discontent; that I should do love truly and not be forced to seem to hate; that as I do, I fail to dare say to anybody one day, I told you; that when I seem stark mute, I prefer not to prate inwardly. 

I have come to the conclusion that I can’t allow myself to be and not be at the same time for I come to this world but once; I am not going to allow myself to freeze and yet burned; I will not allow to turn from myself another self; I will allow some gentler passion slide into my mind even as I recall the tribulations my friends and I have gone through and continue to go through for I am soft and made of melting snow; I will not allow myself to be cruel for there is the all dear option of love, forgiveness and kindness.

I would like to be allowed to float or sink, to be high or low for all that punctuates a melody of sweet content.  The main idea is to accept the unwantedness, and permanently fade-out of the feel and touch of the ‘hallowed master’.

To achieve this, one has to override serving what looks like a five year term suspension while it actually is a ten year term.  To achieve this, one has to suffer with his friends Botsalo Ntuane, Kabo Morwaeng, Sidney Pilane, Ndaba Gaolathe and many many more others.  

 When I had my share of the bitter cup of these days of our life as a nation, Botsalo Ntuane was a true friend, always on my side, making sure I was fine, safe and ensuring that I was the man no lesser than I have always been; Kabo Morwaeng kept our friends across the country informed about what was happening and prayers and best wishes were flowing like a mighty stream and he kept out energies rampant in this course; Ndaba Gaolathe was the true spiritual fort and custodian of collective reason through the power of his inspired statements; at a time when our enterprise could only be strong on the legal than political side, Sidney Pilane became a true stalwart of justice and a mid-wife of what has now evolved into a credible struggle to bring back the dignity of the nation, to re-live a true democratic culture as it is now in a glaring state of deficit within the organisation. 

These friends, and scores of other friends who attended the Mogoditshane meeting as well as those who could not, some of whom are here, are great men and women of honour in whom I am immensely pleased.  God will guard and guide them even though on a dark terrain they grope.

I would like to be associated with is my friends. Friends who are being persecuted at the hands of a cleansing project hosted and administered by the BDP itself.

Friends that are being pushed away from a party they loved and worked for many years. These are friends who understand and appreciate the true democratic creed.

These are friends who know that a process of a people’s democratic synthesis is born out of contending theses. These are friends whose patriotic spirit is unimpeachable; friends whose ground continue to appeal to workers of our nation, to the unemployed, the professional, the youth and learners of our beloved country, to the ordinary people in their humble homes, in their fields and cattle posts and to people within and without the country.  These friends are spread all over the structures of the Botswana Democratic Party.

I can only enjoy the sweet melody with sweet content if I identified with the resolutions of the 20th March 2010 Mogoditshane Convention. In view of what seems to have been a rebuff to former President Masire’s efforts for peace by the pieced-up Central Committee of that organization, I am happy to announce that, at around 1100hrs this morning (Tuesday) I tendered an official note pronouncing my resignation from the Botswana Democratic Party.

I still have zeal to participate in politics, I should care to confirm.  I have been part of a movement that believes in the need to restore the integrity of our democracy.   We need to nurture an accommodative movement where a concerted effort is made to make the movement attractive to people of all ages.

This can be achieved only if there is tolerance of different views, opinions and suggestions not just from its members but even from members of civil society and people of different political persuasions.

But, I like this movement because I believe it wants to promote a legislature that is accorded the respect and dignity that it deserves as an important organ in a democratic dispensation.

MPs, particularly back benchers, should be allowed to use their conscience to debate national issues rather than to rubberstamp decisions already made by the Executive.

I like this movement because I believe that through this movement, change will be manifest.  This change will be driven by the people themselves in their various stations of life.  I like this movement because I believe it wants to promote and protect the rights and freedoms of all citizens as well as ensure that the laws of our country are in line with international best practices as well as ensuring that the bench is graced with a combination of players, including progressives.

I like this movement because I believe it wants to ensure that indecent practice does not have a place in the nation’s governance systems and political leadership. I like this movement because I believe wants to promote a politics of integrity where welfare of all workers is considered the same way we would like to enjoy delivery.

I like this movement because I believe it wants to strive for an increase in investment in the development of human capital.  Trained and developed citizens are the best resource that a country can have.  I like this movement because I believe it wants to ensure that public policies and programmes formulated with good intentions are implemented for the benefit of citizens.

I like this movement because I believe it wants to ensure that people do not live in fear in their own country. We need to defeat fear.  None of my friends is bitter, hateful or is driven by bad faith.  None of my friends is a superman or super-woman. We are people of a collegial spirit who are driven by the collective wisdom of those citizens who yearn for better and for change.  None of my friends boasts of faultlessness of the past. They all remain encouraged by how the best out of them will be drawn by the occasion of this journey.  We are a humble people and so we will remain. 

Of course we owe our political experience and abilities to our stay in the BDP and we remain indebted and grateful to them, for years filled with good and for a few filled with the lack of it, for both made us strong men and women. I take this opportunity to thank Batswana, Media and civil society for taking keen interest in these matters and therefore their country.   All that we have is this country and we have to protect it with all that we have.  I also take this opportunity to thank our families for their support.

I thank Pastors for their prayers and urge them to continue to pray for this nation and all of us players so that we know that the fear of God, and only God, is the beginning of Wisdom. 

God bless you all...

God bless this nation...

..and God bless the expected Botswana Movement for Democracy...   I thank you.

 

*The late Gomolemo Motswaledi was the president of the Botswana Movement for Democracy, UDC Secretary General and the former Secretary General of the Botswana Democratic Party.