Motswaledi funeral turned into freedom square
Onalenna Kelebeile | Monday August 11, 2014 11:23
Tension reached fever pitch in the huge marquee in front of the UCCSA church when the late Motswaledi’s visibly frustrated campaign manager, Sane Moatlhodi declared: “Motswaledi, ngwana wa lona o jelwe ke bopalamente. (Your son Motswaledi’s life has been taken by his parliamentary candidacy in Gaborone Central),” he said to deafening applause, whistling and clapping from UDC members.
Moatlhodi repeated: “Ka re ngwana yoo jelwe ke bopalamente eseng sepe gape…(I repeat that Motswaledi’s life has been taken by his candidacy as a parliamentary hopeful in Gaborone Central).
This statement incited trigger happy UDC members into loud shouts of their party slogan.
For a while, things threatened to get out of control as the master of ceremonies allowed the politicians to go on an ego trip. Given that this was a funeral and not a Freedom Square, their actions amounted to gross disrespect.
When the convener of the opposition talks, Lebang Mpotokwane was given the platform to talk, he mentioned that the Botswana Congress Party (BCP) had pulled out of the negotiations. UDC youth then shouted at BCP president, Dumelang Saleshando until he was forced to leave the tent.
Mpotokwane had mentioned that during the talk one of the parties had pulled out and the response from the UDC was: “Ee, e ne yo! (Yes, that one),” they said pointing accusing fingers at Saleshando. Mpotokwane nearly earned the wrath of the charged UDC youth when he mistakenly called UDC president, Duma Boko the BCP leader. They shouted angrily at him: “A eye BCP. (To hell with the BCP)”.
They taunted Saleshando whose stay in the marquee was evidently becoming very uncomfortable.
Botswana Peoples Party (BPP) leader and UDC chairman, Motlatsi Molapise announced at the rally that people have lost trust in the BDP government.
“The UDC had to hire a private pathologist and investigator to reconstruct the cause of Motswaledi’s accident because we no longer trust the government of the day,” he said to cheers from UDC supporters.
He stated that people were dying and rotting in state prisons because of the sins of the current government.
He encouraged Batswana to put their heads together and oust the ruling party from power.
“Lefatshe le, le dule mo seporong. (Our country is totally derailed under the current regime,” he said to loud cheers from the UDC. Of the UDC leaders, only Ndaba Gaolathe called on the youth to calm down.
“I will tell the young UDC cadres to be peaceful as at times like this, people have to unite in peace,” he said amid ululations and whistling.
Gaolathe indicated that the party youth can be militant but militancy should not cause them to be disruptive. “Love will always overpower everything and light will always chase darkness,” he said. Gaolathe said he could see light at the end of the tunnel and he encouraged UDC to prepare for victory. Fiery trade unionist, Johnson Motshwarakgole, speaking on behalf of Botswana Federation of Public Sector Unions (BOFEPUSU), attacked the BDP government describing the problems bedeviling the nation to be as big as an elephant.
He said no single party could ever unseat the BDP and that is why the opposition must unite.
He encouraged Batswana to stand up against corruption because if people cannot fight the monster, they will be shocked to find that the ill has milked the state coffers dry. He said it was shocking that a government employee could go to a bank carrying a briefcase with P50 million saying this is a terrifying development. He said Motswaledi has walked his mile and is one man who stood firm against corruption.
“Those who love Motswaledi like myself, moono ke o ne oo,” he said to thunderous applause from the UDC corner.