The Masire/Mogae axis in the BDP equation
Ryder Gabathuse | Friday September 5, 2014 14:51
After the dust had settled, many people have started reflecting on the question and have subsequently come to terms with the recent brouhaha sparked by the comments that seemed to have caught the BDP ranks by surprise. Comments made by the two statesmen came at a time when the BDP and other political parties had elevated their campaigns for the 2014 general elections a few decibels higher than ever before.
First, it was Masire, who at the interment of former Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) secretary general, Gomolemo Motswaledi, came closer to endorsing the UDC. Masire presented the late Motswaledi and some of the UDC leaders like Ndaba Gaolathe as visionary leaders and openly encouraged mourners to duly emulate them.
He said this to the chagrin of BDP diehards, some of whom are still bitter following the 2010 emotionally charged departure of the pioneers of the Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD), the first ever breakaway party from the BDP.
Until 2010, Motswaledi and Gaolathe were BDP operatives before they formed the BMD. In fact, Masire opened up about his relationship with both Motswaledi and Gaolathe, whom he passionately described as “my sons.” In his eulogy, Masire who was full of praises for the UDC cause, encouraged members of the UDC never to tire from their cause.
It was this address in particular that apparently sparked a lot of condemnation from BDP diehards with some declaring that Masire was out of order and was hell-bent on de-campaigning the BDP in an election year. Some unruly BDP youth took turns bashing Masire on the social media for merely stating his opinion, which he was entitled to in a democratic country. Momentarily, no one in the BDP family was happy that Masire had openly shared his love for the young Turks in the UDC at the well-attended funeral of Motswaledi.
Even as the anti-Masire sentiments spread like veldt fire sprinkled with flammables, the astute statesman, given to bouts of uproarious laughter remained unfazed and truly unapologetic. This was a clear sign that he literally owned what he had shared as a statesman.
A day or two after Masire’s speech, another retired president, Mogae addressing an African Leadership Forum Panel Discussion in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, called President Ian Khama a dictator. He told his audience that the Khama regime had lost direction and was leaning more and more towards dictatorship. Particularly, Mogae decried the Khama administration for what he termed disregard for rule of law and lack of transparency.
Mogae’s candid address opened a can of worms within the BDP corridors and at the Government Enclave. He was bashed, with some BDP diehards accusing him of trying to rule from the grave. It appeared even prolific Facebook writer and radio commentator MacDonald Peloetletse, an avowed defender of the BDP, did not know that both Masire and Mogae were entitled to their personal opinions, as he relentlessly and recklessly hit the two elderly men below their belts. Peloetletse opened a Facebook debate with a salvo describing how the two elders were ungrateful, saying the current regime was currently providing for them.
Andy Boatile, chairman of the BDP National Youth Executive Committee (NYEC), did not mince his words either, as he attacked both Mogae and Masire for their comments. “We defended Masire during his term as state and party president. We did the same thing to Mogae during his tenure,” he is reported to have said in local newspapers. Boatile is further quoted as having said, “now the very same former heads of state we defended so much are attacking the sitting president of the Republic.” Seething with anger and before he was reportedly called to order by some party operatives, Boatile is alleged to have used ‘uncouth’ language against the two elderly men, Mogae and Masire.
Why this anger? Are the two elderly statesmen, who are also BDP members in good standing not entitled to their opinions against both the BDP and the Khama regime? At the Government Enclave, spin-doctor, Dr. Jeff Ramsay entered the fray. In a media statement he said, while the government appreciated Mogae has the right to freedom of expression, it (government) would not sit back and say nothing in its own defence.
Contrary to what Mogae had raised at the forum, Ramsay said: “As a democratic government, we respect opinions and welcome criticism from all quarters. This is as true for retired political leaders as it is of any other Motswana”. Ramsay further buttressed his case disputing Mogae’s assertion that Botswana had deported over 2,000 potential investors.
“As any other country, Botswana had security considerations when it came to which foreigners should stay within its borders,” was Ramsay’s tirade. Have the comments of the former presidents really done any damage to the BDP cause in an election year to invoke so much uproar? BDP national campaigns manager, Alec Seametso denies that the former presidents could have exacted any damage to the cause of his party.
But, he insists that whilst the BDP openly respected democracy, there were systems in place that need to be respected by party members. “At the BDP, we practise democracy and our belief is that the sitting president should be accorded the respect that he deserves,” he says, pointing out that this does not mean those holding differing views are not heard. He insists further that dedicated party members should communicate pertinent views at the right forums so that the party diehards are not left in a state of confusion because people can say anything, anytime and anywhere.
For his comment, Seametso differs with his party diehards like Peloetletse and Boatile amongst others who held extreme views against the former presidents.
“They were expressing themselves in a democratic dispensation. For them being retired party and state presidents, they have every right to take that route,” he argues, stressing that the main concern is that they should have taken their time to consult the sitting president on pertinent issues.
He explains that often times, President Khama, like any sitting president, would invite retired presidents and have a chat with them on a myriad of issues that he deems pertinent.
He expects Masire and Mogae to have taken advantage of such an arrangement to put their worries or discomforts across, as if the president would care to communicate to anybody what was discussed.
He stresses in Setswana: “Letshwenyego fela ke gore, ba ka bo ba buile mathata a bone le tautona nako e sa le teng, e seng go bua dikgang tse kwa ba di buileng teng (My concern is that, the elders should have communicated their concerns at the right forum and not at the gatherings where they vented their frustrations).” Whilst Seametso accepts that there were those who condemned the former presidents for their opinions, the BDP leadership has accepted that the elders have spoken and there was no malice in their views. “You can’t stop a person’s feelings, and that has never been the position of the BDP to stifle freedom of expression either,” he notes.
Seametso stresses that in a democracy the dissenting voices are given a platform to put their views across.
University of Botswana (UB) political scientist, Professor Emmanuel Botlhale believes strongly that Masire and Mogae are entitled to their opinions. He does not understand why the BDP leadership is having such uneasiness when they are being criticised from within, which he insists is a normal thing.
“When Mogae recently launched Daniel Kwelagobe as Molepolole South parliamentary candidate for the BDP, some people felt it was wrong just because Mogae had criticised the Khama regime. Such a view is completely wrong,” Professor Botlhale observed.
In fact, Botlhale further argues that time permitting, Mogae, given his experience should launch more and more if his schedule permits. Mogae recently launched BDP parliamentary candidate for Palapye, Master Goya. “Instead, it adds value to the party for party elders of Mogae’s calibre to be launching party candidates. If it was possible the launches would all be done by the retired presidents.” He diametrically sees no malice in the opinions of the former presidents as regards the performance of the Khama regime.
The UB academic says the comments made by both Mogae and Masire may be a wake up call to the current regime that the duo has chosen to be a mirror of the BDP leadership including Khama. “A mirror is a true reflection of things, and not a blind spot which has nothing to offer”. Prof Botlhale borrows from Shakespeare when he says, “the eye cannot see itself. The BDP can’t see itself and instead it requires a mirror to make its reflection.”
He strongly feels that the whole episode is being blown out of context and observed that people should take positives out of the whole thing if they are forward-looking. He calls the Masire/Mogae comments, a reality check and should not be treated as a problem, but rather an opportunity. “Only sycophants could go for the blind spot of things and will not see opportunities they can profit from, particularly, Mogae’s comments,” concludes Botlhale.