I am all about development � Moyo
Patricia Edwin | Friday September 12, 2014 15:29
The Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) candidate is a hands-on man and the attitude has seen him becoming not only a successful businessman, but also a politician of note.Guma’s focus has been development of his constituency, Tati East, which he will be contesting for, for the third time.
“I understand development to mean the creation of favourable material factors that bring about an improvement on the living standard of the majority of people.
“Therefore, the value of any development project should be measured by the degree of which it actually improves the living standards of the majority of the people.
“The main aim of economic development therefore is to improve people and not things.
“These people must not only be tokenistically involved in policy formulations, but should also participate in the implementation of the development effort,” he said.
In just over a month, on October 24, Guma will face a litmus test, as he will be vying for voters against Chibuya Kuchwe of Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) and Maria Kusasa of the Botswana Congress Party (BCP).
The fight for the return may not be as smooth as the previous two terms were where there was no opposition to speak of. In fact the turbulent four years of his life could be the one real test, whether his BDP followers have really “forgiven” him. In 2010, he decamped and was one of the leading founders of the breakaway party, Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD). Today, BMD and UDC coalition partners, Botswana National Front and Botswana Peoples Party, have become BDP’s real serious threat.
He retuned to BDP a year later, and immediately campaigned for the second highest office in the party – chairperson. He won, but internal ramblings during last year’s primaries, led to his unceremonious resignation early this year – giving rise to the belief that he is politically isolated from the ruling party inner circles.
Guma, however, insists on focusing his campaign only on the mission that got him to Parliament since 2004 – development.
While his opponents insist that the constituency is experiencing developmental barrenness under his rule, he maintains the opposite is the truth.
“We have not changed on this collective strategy for development in our constituency which goes hand in hand with our NDP10 and vision 2016,” he said.
His mission, he said, is to uphold and promote the Constitution of Botswana by contributing towards protecting sustained growth, development, economic independence, social justice, rule of law, national unity, democracy and the self-determination.
“I am going to ensure a coordinated effort in the delivery of development programmes and services that are espoused in the national development plans.
“I am also going to work with other development leaders in the constituency towards making services accessible and available to my fellow constituents,” said Guma.
He further insisted that he is a team player. “I am a prime mover, advocate and motivator for good working relationships in development work between the national executive and its arms in my constituency.
“These (the arms) are the district council, local village development structures, civic initiatives, corporate interests, political operatives of all parties, and the people towards the delivery of development and services.”
Guma said as a Member of Parliament, he viewed himself as a servant of those who voted for him.
“I find it very difficult to traverse the contours and plains of my tenure as MP for Tati East if I do not know the development needs and how they can be addressed within the means at our collective disposal as a constituency.
“Such knowledge and information could not in my view have come in any other fashion, than to refer to development leaders within the constituency and other associated partners,” he said.
Guma, a businessman of note, said he is of the view that political freedom is meaningless without economic independence.
“The attainment of political and economic independence of a country requires the participation of every citizen. “Enshrined within government’s policy on economic diversification is its obligation to equip the citizens with appropriate skills and opportunities to play a meaningful role in the economic advancement of their country,” he said.
To him, citizen economic empowerment is way of increasing every citizen’s access to economic opportunities, thereby facilitating each citizen’s capacity to own, control and manage the assets of economic activity.
In fact, Guma seems to take a different stand with his party on citizen empowerment. He said the existence of government policies and schemes such as economic diversification, citizen economic empowerment and CEDA do not guarantee poverty alleviation and the economic advancement of Batswana.
“It is the efficient and effective implementation of these policies and schemes that can significantly improve the quality of life for all Batswana,” Guma said.
If he returns to Parliament, Guma said he would continue to avail himself to the people of Tati East constituency to help them participate and benefit from government schemes.
While of late politicians speak openly and proudly about their marital status, the question seemed to turn him into a pillar of salt.
He pointedly refused to state if he was married, nor speak of family matters.