Molapise is an elephant in the room

Mmegi Editor | Friday August 11, 2017 11:15

This is the man who sacrificed a lot to build the democracy that we all enjoy today. Molapise is not an ordinary man. He is a veteran opposition politician. He has been the BPP president for many years. He once resigned from the position, but was recalled after there was a vacancy in the oldest political party in the country.

Just like his political movement, Molapise’s history is rich. In the 1990s he was the mayor of Francistown. Even after he was dethroned he continued to serve as an ordinary councillor. He performed that duty with aplomb. Although his party was now in the minority at the civic centre, Molapise did not disappoint. He kept the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) councillors on their toes whenever he rose to contribute to any discussion.

He kept the lights burning for the opposition in the second city for decades. In 2013 he received the Presidential Certificate of Honour (PCH) from President Ian Khama for his contribution to the development of the country, particularly in politics. The Reverend and political veteran was not at the ceremony at the National Stadium in Gaborone to receive the honours, but he was represented by his daughter.

Although Molapise’s star was shining, that cannot be said about his moribund BPP. It was a wise move for the aging party to join the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) and contested the 2014 general elections under that banner. Molapise is currently the chairperson of the UDC. Notwithstanding the wise move, Molapise’s charges did not perform satisfactorily. They only managed to win one ward in the North East District.

It is safe to conclude that without the UDC, the BPP could have been a forgotten party. The UDC gave life to the BPP, which has been in the Intensive Care Unit for decades. What is disheartening is that this fossil that is the BPP is derailing the progress of the UDC. Those Francistown gentlemen are an ungrateful lot. A cabal belonging to a certain faction in the Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD) is now manipulating them. How awful! These Machiavellians should be exposed for what they really are. These are the people who lost BMD National Executive Committee (NEC) elections in Gantsi some two years ago and never accepted defeat. These are men and women who would rather have their movement break up than work with the winners. All of a sudden they found faults in the party constitution. And their hate for another UDC affiliate, the Botswana Congress Party (BCP) is well known.

In Molapise they found a willing Trojan horse. These people should be stopped in their dirty tracks before they contaminate the Umbrella project.

 

Today’s thought 

“We were punished because we were not part of the UDC.” 

– Taolo Lucas