Amazing, the misonception of the essence of democracy amongst Batswana!
Michael Dingake | Tuesday October 24, 2017 16:06
Parliamentary Union (IPU) meeting in Russia: “Nobody knows why Boko travelled with Gaolathe to Russia. There are all kinds of traps the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) could lay for him to kill the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC). It will be really sad if he bites the bait,” someone is quoted as lamenting the danger of the decision. A day or two after publication of the article, it must have come as a relief to the person who was worried about the ‘trap,’ by viewing the two would-be arch-enemies posing for a photo, conference tags dangling from their necks!
Why could anybody think the two Honourables are such mortal enemies as to be made insecure by travelling abroad together? And why should any Motswana suspect the ruling BDP is likely to set traps for political rivals within the opposition camp to eliminate each other? Amazing, to say the least! The Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD) internal conflict was already evident when Hon Boko, in the last Parliamentary sitting, went on some trip abroad he appointed, none other but Hon Ndaba to substitute him, as Leader of the opposition, in his absence. Does this amazing suspicion arise now, presumably because Hon Ndaba has broken away from the BMD and implicitly from the UDC? Is Botswana politics suffering from an infantile disorder or what should we make of it?
I admit, politics is war by other means; by other means, let it be emphasised, not by guns and live ammunition; doesn’t this apply more to the politics of the democratic dispensation variety? Jaw-jaw is better than war-war, better describes the democratic system under which we operate. Jaw-jaw, besides, is basic to Batswana's own version of the political norm. Hence Batswana say, ‘Ntwakgolo ke ya molomo,’ or ‘mahoko a kgotla a mantle otlhe!’ The intrusion of the hateful, bitter element of mutual elimination is uncharacteristic of Batswana culture. It’s absolutely alien to us. It ought to be condemned with all the vigour and all the means at our disposal! In order to do so, we have to get our bearings right on what the democratic culture implies in our social relationships.
One of the cardinal principles of democracy is tolerance.
Surprisingly, intolerance seems to be creeping stealthily, but steadily into Batswana’s social interaction.
Every time two Batswana argue, it is common to hear the one who has a weak point of argument accusing the other of ‘talking politics;’ politics is fast becoming taboo or a vulgar word in our midst. The trend must be halted. It doesn’t bode well for our future.
What is more alarming, is that some Batswana try hard to polarise our society into permanent enemy political camps.
The attempt stinks to high heavens, though it resides in the abyss of irrational thought, breeding egregious fib and fiction. Take the 2014 allegation that the Saleshando couple, Dumelang and Dineo, was in business partnership with some top dogs in the BDP! The objection to this fabulous lie wasn’t only that it was a putrid green lie, it implied, politicians belonging to opposite political camps were by some indistinct virtue or edict, barred from forming business partnerships! Business partnership between locals and non-locals in the meantime, is neither forbidden nor discouraged! Under the circumstances, you may want to know, what is the sin of a member of the opposition, doing business with fellow-Motswana who is a member of the ruling party? Ain’t we one people? I’m stunned!
We worship together, play games together , mix as passengers in public transport and marry without scrutinising each others' party colours! Families and relatives don’t disintegrate when members go their separate ways, acquiring personal habits not commensurate with others' habits.
I have close relatives and bosom friends in Domkrag; should I sever all relationships because they’re Domkrag members? That would be crazy! Am I, by some unwritten, imperative sanction, or some unknowable ritual to sever association with all and sundry, because we belong to parties with antagonistic ideology? Let anybody tell me to dump these, my friends and relatives, I’d tell him/her to go jump into the deepest ocean to be devoured by sharks!
My reasoning is that if we compartmentalise nations, tribes, families according to political party zones, we may end up, the strangest sub-human species on planet earth! Dysfunctional, ludicrous, stunted, solitary and boring.
We’d buy from party shops; work for party members’ businesses, virtually denying members of opposition political parties employment opportunities, since employers sympathetic to the working class are a rare species; members of opposition parties would have no churches, because the clergy, at least in the Christian churches, I am familiar with, pray only for the rulers: presidents, dikgosi, prime ministers, ministers and mayors, seldom for the poor working class! They say those we’ll always have amongst us! Have you ever heard the priest or pastor saying let’s pray for the workers? I haven’t!
I refuse to think, active politics implies we have to cultivate, nurse and nurture animosity amongst ourselves as a people! Rather, active politics should assist us to develop our natural talent of thinking improvement of our life circumstances, not by advocating, propagating or enforcing similarities and populating our human society with yes-persons. Independent mind, speech, experimentation, discourse and tolerance is what produces the whiz-kid and progressive humankind, we know. Exclusiveness and hate breed sub-humans. Beware!