Don�t let the BDP pull a fast one on political violence!
Michael Dingake | Tuesday August 1, 2017 16:44
The violence, which had been brewing and erupting along the lines predicted by press reports and social media posts were taken into account shouldn’t have taken us by surprise, least of all the Minister of Defence, Justice and Security (DJS), Hon Shaw Kgathi who is also the MP for the Bobonong constituency where the violence was occurring. Nor was it necessary for the brand new Secretary General , Rre Mpho Balopi to react as he did.
Violence that erupted at Matshekge High School, Bobonong should have been foreseen by the police; none could have missed the volatility of the situation, which certainly demanded a close monitoring by the BPS. Why didn’t they? Were they instructed to ignore developments preceding the day of the BMD congress scheduled for Matshekge High School?
The behaviour of the Hon Minister Shaw Kgathi's police is very suspicious. From the media we learn that Hon Ndaba Gaolathe, the leader of the faction that bivouacked at the Bobonong Secondary School had specifically instructed his charges to avoid violence. Is it possible the police, eager to let the violence happen planted agent provocateurs to incite the BMD faction under him to let the violence that came to pass occur? I think the opposition and the concerned public should demand an inquiry into the conduct of the police leading to the eruption of violence. It’s hard to believe that the delegates who we read, adored Hon Gaolathe could have defied him the way they did . Something is fishy!
For the Minister of police to come guns blazing following the violence and the brand new Secretary General of “it is our time to eat” fame, shouldn’t blur the public vision of watching the theatrics of these two representatives of Domkrag under siege. ‘Chingwenyana chiapo’ as my clan relatives would put it. Though the violence might not have been directly and deliberately planned by ‘Domkrag ya rona le bana ba rona,’ it was from overwhelming circumstantial evidence passionately and ardently prayed for by them. The Minister of Law and Order couldn’t pretend his BPS was ambushed by events of the long weekend, never! The Ministry of DJS may not have directly orchestrated the violent events that took place, but exonerating the Ministry from the audible cheering and ululation behind their pretentious peace-loving masks, when a hail of stones fell upon the school gates, would be utterly wrong.
A not-so-hidden hand can be discerned without a microscope!
The opposition has been on a resurgent mode since the 2014 general elections. The ruling party was beaten hands down in the popular vote, 2014: 47% Domkrag and 53% the combined opposition! And then followed the bye-elections post-2014 general elections; here it has been almost a one-horse race: 10 contested seats won by the opposition and a paltry three won by Domkrag! The political situation in the country at the moment must one that costs sleepless nights and migraine for the ruling party.
It’s highly fluid! Batswana must refuse to be swung like the weathercock in the slightest political breeze. Domkrag isn’t only culpable in the runaway unemployment, widespread poverty, income gap reflected in the rich getting richer and richer, while the poor are getting poorer and poorer , the highest unhappiness index in the whole world – a warning that there is something wrong that the government is doing which doesn’t sit well with the public. Moreover, Domkrag can no longer be viewed as the guarantor nor the paragon of virtue and peace in the country . It’s axiomatic that once a country’s democratic credentials take a dive, like it’s happening with introduction of the un-wanted EVMs in an attempt to manipulate the Constitution and steal the elections, the public must be vigilant and be ready to fight back!
Lest we forget, Domkrag is the author and the source of subsequent political violence experienced since the President violated the norms of democracy when he sought to deny the winning Barataphathi the right to lead the party the elective congress had elected them to lead. In fact it’s time we stopped bidding about the bush, but to tell the ruling BDP in unequivocal language, that the genesis of Matshekge Hill battle can be traced back to the Kanye Congress of 2009. The young BDP Turks of the Barataphathi were angered by the President.
Anger we know is the forerunner of violence. Domkrag is the party of violence, it begot the angry BMD which designed and executed Matshekge High School violence. He/she who denies people democratic right under a democratic dispensation invites resistance. Initially the resistance may be peaceful, but if denial persists, the resistance may harden and become violent. It was the denial of democracy to the young Turks at the Kanye Congress that begot the anger and violence reflected at Matshekge High in Bobonong. The BDP ought to know that to deny people their democratic rights is to court resistance which may start as peaceful protest and escalate to militant proportions and eventually escalate into violent protest and ultimately, who knows, into a full-fledged revolution, fought with more dangerous weapons, not bows and arrows.
Batswana have a saying that says: “….Henya (le)silo o le boele, (le)silo le maboo mabe!”