The UDC Must Move Beyond Childish Statements

Correspondent | Monday February 22, 2016 16:07

The plethora of paranoia refusing to be receded from the UDC should be a call for mental concern. It is the platform where leaders are afraid of their own shadows yet want the masses to see bravery in them to a point where they feel to be deserving of fiery leadership positions.

Not only is that kind of leadership proving to be lacking the nous, but it is equally absent from the main stream thinking of the ordinary Motswana. 

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Mogoditshane; Sedirwa Kgoroba, cannot go unnoticed in his latest emotive and sub-standard allegations. He has some weeks ago through some social sites postings alleged that there is some plot to assassinate the leader of the BMD being Ndaba Gaolathe. Kgoroba must be brought to account as an MP of such serious allegations he is making.

Such allegations have a potential of taking the country to a political war. The UDC must distance itself from these allegations and many others of those who wake up to seek some form of glory, publicity and relevance and present to the nation that they are some assassination targets. Such story is old, unbelievable, and dishonest and eating away rather than feeding the political strength and presence of organisations to which such lunatics belong. We need issue based politics as in yesterday.

It is amazing how they continue to tout a future they don’t seem to envisage. It is also appalling that the limitations of some of the political journalists in Botswana have become too obvious that they fail to see beyond the words they are told. Presentation of limited and little understanding as a point of authority and sometimes as fact has become the only saviour that the opposition has from some of the junior journalists who are often mislead by their lack of understanding of basic politics.

I must honestly point out there are small patches of the media where investigative journalism remains powerful though most of the times clouded with a desire to de-campaign the government without much impartiality. 

The political cataclysm that the UDC entered the political scene with seems to have evaded the plot.

They seem to be unaware that the scarlet pimpernel character that they were at the beginning of it all when they landed a star role in opposition politics has vanished with time. The time for action is now and the desire for a hopeful future has never been so bold. The citizenry do not deserve to be sold sensational and emotive statements when what they are looking for is knowing when the next plate of food will be coming from.

Then there is a former Commander of Botswana Defence Force (BDF) Ground Forces, retired Major General Pius Mokgware who seems to be looking back at the BDF with envy and zeal of service that presents him as a man jealous of those he left behind.

We cannot take it away from Mokgware that he successfully sued the Botswana Defence Force and took with him a hefty salary. But he must know that tolerance has limits and hence that which is against the societal known establishment when committed ends up in dustbins of mental disturbances. The UDC must engage Mokgware and remind him that it is only in his imagination that political assassinations are taking place in Botswana. 

Since leaving the BDF to become a civilian and ultimately a politician, Mokgware has never been able to appreciate that he is now within the ranks of civilians.

 His paranoia which often clouds his judgement of political ground should be addressed by his party for he does not sound normal anymore.

He has said it all since he arrived in politics, from a hit list to assassinations. Somebody at the UDC should take Mokgware aside and let him know that the people are tired and fed up of conspiracy theories of assassinations and all the film like stories sounding like tales from a Hollywood thriller. 

It is becoming increasingly clear that little time was devoted to creating what will replace the political cataclysm that the UDC arrived with. Such cataclysm having evaded their political territory, they find themselves with a vacuum they are only able to fill with threats they create for themselves.  

The leadership is also lost in their quest to sell misinformation that is deliberately packaged in no any other way but believable. The information that someone is after them and wants to assassinate them. They are lost and unable to realise that the people have unpackaged the information and have viewed it to be false, unbelievable and fraudulent. The UDC must use all opportunity to preach the kind of future it promises and not these self-centred conspiracy theories which purpose are clearly to market preachers. 

They view the government as nothing but a holy grail which it shall stop at nothing to stop attempt of take-over yet only in their dreams. The UDC has been its main doing to horde fear through the nation since inception yet on the other hand purporting to preach hope, peace and a longed for future full of economic and democratic possibilities.

It appears being correct about the UDC’s real strength is an exception. I am amongst those who keep trying to hope on the UDC but get pushed away by thriller like stories they are able to manufacture and preach. Everyone wants a better life but a better life does not come through conspiracy theories or a mere desperation to win state power. 

It is fine to view the BDP from a pejorative angle for purposes of competition, but to build conspiracy theories of the existence of a hit-list and assassinations should be given the most of all painful disregards.

Maybe I am wrong, but I do not see any members of the Botswana People’s Party and the Botswana National Party being alleged to be assassinated or providing stories in only their imaginations.

That is very much commendable and maybe they should advise their partner; the Botswana Movement for Democracy that whatever is built on lies have no moral ground to hold the future.

I implore the UDC to distance itself from both Pius Mokgware and Sedirwa Kgoroba’s statements which were obviously aimed at raising an emotive national reaction. I will not be surprised if they added Mma Nasha to their imaginary hit list.

 

Karabo Ramogotsi

Tlokweng 

kramogotsi@yahoo.com