UDC, BCP �cohabiting�
Innocent Selatlhwa | Friday February 5, 2016 09:51
BCP president, Dumelang Saleshando, told a press briefing that in a nation ruled by divisions, opposition unity is the answer. “We have a divided opposition and with this we are moving forward to bringing the parties towards each other hence this document,” he said. Saleshando said they have since instructed their structures including the Youth League, Women’s Leagues and the regions to hold at least one collective event between February and March as a way to show that they are united in this.
“The leadership wants to divide the country into two, there are those regarded as patriots and those who are not, those in the BDP are regarded as true patriots while others are seen as less of patriots. This is also visible at the judiciary, some are denied of being appointed judges when they deserve and have been recommended by relevant bodies,” he said.
Saleshando further said divisions are seen in the business community stating that some business people who funded them during the 2014 general elections have told them that thy have been warned by the BDP elites that if they continue funding the opposition they will not support them.
Saleshando further said government is divided, in that senior positions especially in parastatals are not given on merit but those with BDP membership are preferred. He further stated that the vice president Mokgweetsi Masisi’s utterances that he is the next president of the country screams division adding that it has never been done by any former vice president.
For his part, UDC president, Duma Boko, said he was certain that the MoA is a huge step towards making the BDP an opposition party in 2019. “This is a sign that we are in the right direction. We will begin the unity talks in April and I am certain that they will be fruitful. We have failed before so that we can do better this time around,” he said.
Boko further said they will jointly take to task the government over the P7 billion allocated to the Botswana Defence Force for buying arms. “Why are they buying arms when there are other pressing issues the country needs to spend on. We do not have any threat. Actually we are becoming a threat to the region. They will suspect that we are up to something,” he said.
Meanwhile a ‘friend’ of the UDC, Botswana Federation of Public Sector Unions (BOFEPUSU), whose members effectively campaigned for the punishment of the BCP for rejecting unity has also approached the BCP. A press release issued by BOFEPUSU states that “the two organisations discussed a number of issues pertaining to labour issues, labour polices, issues of national interest and how the two organisations will relate going forward which will entail further meetings between the two organisations in the near future.”