The Country Deserves a Lot Better
Sandy Grant | Monday September 3, 2018 12:06
But first, in an attempt to lighten the current glooms, let me refer to the government’s recent Facebook photos of the Kazangula Bridge. Wow. This bridge is really something. Pulling off this spectacular project must make many of us wonder why we are making such an awful mess of so much else?
The latest being more millions down the drain with the BDF’s purchase of 2nd hand, worthless Land Rovers. (Guardian 30.8) But it’s not just the bridge itself that is so impressive. It is the character who is in charge of its construction, one Kobamelo Kgoboko, B.Sc (Hons.), M.eng Sc., MIE Aust., CP Eng., MBIE for a start, Swaneng graduate and today variously described as Managing Director or Kazangula Bridge Consultant or, in my terms, top dog of that marvellous project.
It amazes me that somehow, he contrives to stay under the radar although he isn’t just one of those run of the mill Major Generals but a four-star general. But back to the glooms. I have read everything that I can get my hands on in an attempt to understand what is going on with the attempts to split the BDP and rid the country of its BDP President, and have failed.
I have applied the old formula for adjudging a project, what, when, how and why, but this has got me nowhere.
‘When’ maybe but the others? If it is not a simple personal vendetta then obviously it is a straight forward attempt to regain power.
As far as I can gather, a twin approach is planned. One is to achieve sufficient support in the National Assembly in order to win a vote of no confidence in the President and thereby to bring down the BDP government and trigger a general election.
According to the Gazette, 28 members being both BDP and opposition would bring that about although the former President is believed, anyway, to have 40 adherents. Incredible.
But then what? Could the IEC agree that two BDPs could contest this election or would it insist that one of them register as a new party. But which one?
And would this be possible within the limited timeframe? But let’s assume that an election is indeed held. In such a volatile situation, how could the former President’s following be sufficiently confident to know what kind of a result would transpire?
Or do they believe that money, lots of it, will be all that is needed to do the trick? Otherwise, it would be much too chancy to risk.
The other arm of the supposed strategy is that at the next BDP Conference, the former President will stand for the Chairmanship of the party and knock out the current Chairman, Hon. Also Slumber Tsogwane.
What if this plan does not succeed? Is there a fall-back plan and what might it be? But in the event of success, what would be the next steps? Force the President to resign or somehow be replaced? For me, the notion seems far too chancy. Too many factors could change and change very quickly.
But it is all so demeaning, so shaming for all of us. We may not be actively involved, but we all have a voice even the churches which as so often remain mute when really major issues confront the country. But there are others who are very much involved.
The Gazette suggests that in the last few weeks, there has been a stream of people coming to the former President’s office in Gaborone, members of the political elite, including members from all political parties and members of the legal profession and the media revealed a ‘political personality watcher’. Is this a new kind of profession?
But let’s take this information as probably correct; after all this kind of thing can hardly be kept secret with the DIS being bound to have provided the President with the names of all those visitors. It wouldn’t be much of an organisation if it hasn’t.
Paying a courtesy call is hardly a legal offence, but what interests might these varied people share? Presumably there is another group of people, also politicos, media people, judges, you name them, also paying their respective courtesy calls on the President with their interest being so much more honourable.
But there is so much about all this that we still do not know.
Does it come down to fear of impending criminal charges? Or are there other compelling factors involved? But what might they be? And what is on offer for the country? A Life Presidency perhaps? Achieving something that was not achieved in the ten years? Reversing every change that has been introduced by the President? But this is all so degrading. Surely, surely the country deserves better?