Can we trust politicians?
Staff Writer | Friday September 26, 2014 14:56
March 2010
Disgruntled members of Botswana Democratic Party gather in Mogoditshane to establish the Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD). There is excitement at the newborn baby who is first born of the BDP at the age of 44-years-old. In less than 24 months, some of the founders of BMD have returned to their mother and they call their baby all sorts of names. They even accuse their baby of lacking vision and direction.
April 2011
Civil servants engage in a nationwide strike that would last for three months. Opposition politicians are standing by their side everyday making promises that all opposition parties are going to come together to oust the BDP, which they accuse of enslaving workers. The opposition holds rallies where leaders of the three parties exchange party merchandise (T-shirts) to assure the workers and the general public that they are coming together to build one strong opponent to the BDP.
December 2011
The three parties announce that opposition talks have collapsed and that Botswana Congress Party would not be part of the proposed party that was promised to the workers, and the public. Reasons advances, or shared with the nation are that the parties could not agree on the model to adopt in creating this new animal that will oust BDP. However, the three parties make a promise that they will work together in parliament.
December 2011
There are reports of corruption at Botswana Development Corporation (BDC) glass project in Palapye and a member of opposition (then) Odirile Motlhale calls on parliament to establish a special select committee to investigate the allegations.
The BDP is divided, with some opposing the motion arguing that the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crimes (DCEC) will do the investigations. The motion, however, passes and such committee is established.
April 2012
There are signs of discontent between the BNF/BMD formation and the BCP and they accuse each other of all sorts of things. There is floor crossing, but the two/three parties would not come together or agree on who should be the Leader of Opposition. The shenanigans give BDP an opportunity to make fun of opposition squabbles. Some opposition MPs cross the floor to join the ruling party.
December 2012
A cabinet minister Maxwell Motowane dies of ill health, creating a by-election in Letlhakeng West. As the campaign heats up, there are allegations that the BCP is de-campaigning BNF, a member of which won the 2004 elections – Filbert Nagafela. The BCP denies the claims saying that it was assisting BNF in the campaigns.
April 2013
The UDC is in place and launched a few months later. The bad blood between the UDC and BCP is visible as members of the two parties exchange accusations through social media, whenever there is a national topic where they hold differing views.
December 2013
A by election in Francistown West, following the death of Tshelang Masisi is postponed to February 2014, and the two opposition parties hold separate press conferences and make separate court applications to challenge the postponement.
July 2014
UDC deputy president Gomolemo Motswaledi dies in a car accident and during events leading to his funeral in Serowe there is exchange of venom, once again. UDC youth allegedly stop BCP members and their leadership from participating in the memorial and the subsequent funeral service.
The parties no longer take a similar position on any matter of national interest. Even in live radio debates in the run-up to October 24, the candidates from the two parties focus on opposing each other instead of fighting their supposedly common enemy the BDP. This has also given BDP opportunity to ridicule them, apparently even the housing allowance for former MPs could be one such move.