The return of Goya
Ryder Gabathuse | Friday January 22, 2021 17:16
Goya, a popular legislator during his heydays in Palapye seemingly became a victim of circumstances especially after the birth of the ruling Botswana Democratic Party’s (BDP) breakaway party, the Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) just prior to the 2019 general election. At the time, the political mood and allegiance shifted in Palapye and almost the entire Central District with the new kid on the political bloc igniting regional interest.
Just under the noses of Goya and his party (BDP) diehards the BPF ushered in new changes that blew away the traditional and conservative nature of the BDP dominance in the area since independence in 1966. Unfortunately, he (Goya) couldn’t discern an internal plot within the party (BDP) by some operatives who were loyal to the new party’s patron former president Ian Khama and hell-bent on running away with the requisite political numbers. When the votes were counted in 2019, Goya had lost to Onneetse Ramogapi by 330 votes margin. Ramogapi had garnered 5582 votes whilst Goya lost the fight via 5252 votes. Two factors accounted for Goya’s loss. First, the Botswana Congress Party (BCP), Ramogapi’s party was contracted to a tri-party Umbrella for Democratic Change UDC) which has the Botswana National Front (BNF) and Botswana Peoples Party (BPP)as members and their efforts paid dividends after over 50 years of trying hard to wrestle the seat. Secondly, the diehard BDP members had vowed not to vote for the BDP due to internal squabbles traceable to the top party leadership. The two factors above connived to oust Goya, as he still wanted another term in Parliament under the BDP ticket. Goya’s return to local politics after months of speculative absence brings home a man who has learnt a political lesson after his loyalty to the BDP could not reward him. It seems his downfall in the last general election was enough for him to receive a cold shoulder from the BDP, the party he served with utmost loyalty.
His case is more than the tired adage, ‘if you can’t beat them, join them.’ He could have fled the party prior to the 2019 general election, given the building pressure from within the ‘loyal’ electorate but his loyalty to the BDP and his advanced preparations that year, could not easily allow him to ‘dump’ the BDP just like that. But, what did he get from the BDP for his loyalty? You guessed right, nothing. If Goya could honor the desires of the BPF in Palapye, his future participations in the elections could alter the fortunes of a long time conservative constituency, already shaken by Ramogapi’s UDC in the last election. The BPF which continues with its massive recruitment in Palapye is set to wreak havoc. It may be too early for Goya to say anything, “but, some people wish I could start the long journey to the 2024 general election bearing the BPF flag'. In the vernacular he said : “ Ngwana ga a rongwa o a tsamaya ..” This means when a child is assigned to do something, he/she does it. “Infact, there was a section of the now BPF leadership in Palapye that wanted me out of the BDP in 2019 but my campaign expenditure at the BDP was another prohibiting factor as everything was already advanced on the BDP side,” explained Goya who then took a decision to remain in the BDP knowing the minds of the electorate.
There is likelihood that when the delimitation exercise is executed Palapye could be split into two constituencies as numbers permit. Meanwhile, Palapye incumbent legislator, Ramogapi this week conceded that the defection of Goya to the BPF has likelihood of changing the political landscape as he acknowledges that Goya still has a following in Palapye.
The Palapye MP concedes that the political landscape in Palapye like anywhere else is like a chameleon and keeps on changing. He is aware that certain developments that he may find himself unable to change could happen in the political journey. He was however, adamant that the unfortunate thing to happen in Palapye is when all the opposition parties could choose to contest against each other in the next general election as that he fears could give the BDP an opportunity to win the day. In the midst of all the new developments, Ramogapi is adamant that the UDC has not folded its arms as it’s also working very hard to retain the constituency in 2024.
He also warned that the BDP still has a strong presence in Palapye and they (UDC) will not rest on their laurels knowing that the party is also fighting like a wounded buffalo. “There is a lot to learn from the BCP incident of 1998 when eleven MPs broke away from the BNF to form the current BCP.
They were humbled in the 1999 general election, when only one MP was re-elected,” reminisced Ramogapi who was previously a BDP operative.