Boko, the push Rannatshe needed
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Friday October 17, 2014 17:19
It turned out that upon fetching his high profile visitors, chief among them former Bulgarian President Peter Stoyanov from Sir Seretse Khama International Airport, Boko made a sudden decision to attend the Thamaga rally.
To the hundreds who turned up for Rannatshe’s rally next to Thamaga Police Station, what made Boko’s appearance unforgettable was its suddenness and the fact that he came with a highly valued former European president. Also in tow was the secretary general of the Center for Global Dialogue, Stannen Stantciyev and Vadim Benyatov of the Credit Suisse.
It emerged that the UDC leadership in the constituency had assumed Boko’s gracious handing over of his now popular Presidential bus, going under the tag-line “Ha e duma, re a dumalana” for the motorcade before the mid-week mass rally, was all he was offering. Mmegi learnt that it was only around 5pm when Boko requested the bus to return to Gaborone, that they got hint of his intentions, and started running around looking for more chairs, tables and a gazebo. But their leader had more in mind.
To fulfill an earlier promise to Thamaga residents, he not only pitched, but also convinced his jet-legged high-profile European friends to join him in propelling his comrades to the finish line.
In the midst of ululations, cheering, dancing and all round euphoria, organisers were seen gathering and one heard saying: “Tota Tautona o re botshang? Re baya Makgoa fo kae? Batlang dijo, sengwenyana, metsi… (What has the president done? Where are we going to seat the white people? Find something for them to eat, drink”.
Boko’s delegation arrived, a little after 7pm, just as opposition politics veteran Dr Elmon Tafa was lecturing on the “evils of the BDP regime”. It then took a good 20 minutes for the euphoria to die down, and for Tafa to continue his crusade against the ruling BDP.
The Botswana National Front (BNF) old hand took the short and straight route of speaking to the promises of the UDC and why it was time the renamed Thamaga-Kumakwane constituency had to be yanked from the BDP’s 48-year-old domination.
He reminded all of the sacrifices of the founding fathers and mothers of BNF, a leading coalition partner in the UDC, whose other members are Botswana Peoples Party and Botswana Movement for Democracy. Among the leaders Tafa was referring to was the late Kgosi Diratsame Mosielele, whom speakers noted that on realising that the BDP could not develop Batswana, quit bogosi to help build the BNF in Thamaga.
In fact to show their appreciation of the rested monarch, Boko had on July 12, hours before the late Gomolemo Motswaledi launched Rannatshe and his eight council candidates, led UDC activists at the royal graveyard and laid a wreath at Kgosi Mosielele’s grave. He made a promise to return to Thamaga then, and this week he honoured it in a special way.
When he took to the podium, Boko started by speaking of the true traits of leadership, noting that just as Mosielele, exceptional leaders do exceptional things under most trying times. He said such leaders forgo the comforts of positions and power to fight for the emancipation of all. Turning on the issue at hand, Boko urged Thamaga-Kumakwane electorate to vote for Rannatshe and his councillors.
“Our party is concerned about your lives unlike the BDP which believes that Ipelegeng is the only hope for Batswana. You need a president, a Member of Parliament and councillors who will bring development in this area,” he said. He pointed to the deteriorating education system, just as with classrooms and facilities.
“As you go to vote next week, remember the situation your child has to endure in our schools,” he said, noting “no single primary school in Botswana, Gaborone included, has a library”. Taking a swipe at BDP leader, Ian Khama, Boko said he found it sad that the President today speaks of expanding Ipelegeng programme instead of creating skills’ based permanent jobs.
“Ha a lo leba Khama, o bona badisa le batho ba Ipelegeng. Rona ko UDC, ha re bona dingaka, maengeniere, diloyara… (When Khama looks at you, he sees herders, Ipelegeng workers. We at the UDC we see among you doctors, engineers, lawyers…),” said Boko to an uproar, before he launched into his now popular rally song, “O seka wa re tlisetsa ka difonanyana…”
The re-named Thamaga-Kumakwane constituency has been the domain of the BDP since independent, with only ward of Thamaga West been in the hands of the BNF since 1970s.
For that symbolic act of declaring war on the BDP, Rannatshe’s team had the founding and former councillor for the area, Sekgele Dipate, welcoming Boko.