Egomania led to the birth of a new party
Mmegi Editor | Friday September 22, 2017 11:33
It took only seven years for the Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD) to split. We all remember that the 2010 Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) split that gave birth to the BMD was hailed as a game changer in Botswana politics. This is the party that exposed the BDP's vulnerability.
The BDP that was deemed to have assumed immortality was now seen as weak and ordinary. The BDP young turks who were its hope for survival as a ruling party led this split. The BMD became the source for enhanced energy within the opposition. It brought swag to the moribund opposition politics and their membership of the UDC made victory seem possible.
The BMD had found a good infrastructure within the UDC to inflict harm on their former party and avenge the ill treatment that it had subjected their founding leader, the late Gomolemo Motswaledi. Fast-forward to 2017, the BMD has become the ugly face of all that could possibly go wrong for the opposition and reverse the 2014 gains. Endless bickering over petty issues has become their trademark.
They have essentially vindicated the BDP that labelled them troublemakers who lack discipline and promote anarchy. When everyone expected the BMD to accept the counsel of the UDC on how to restore the glory days, one of the factions bolted out to form the AP. Is it the understanding of the BMD leadership that internal conflicts are best resolved by formation of a new party?
Is the BDP vindicated that the founders of BMD are troublemakers? Were the leadership of AP insincere when they sought the intervention of the UDC to resolve the BMD internal ructions? Can Batswana entrust administration of this country to the leaders of AP? Was Gaolathe sincere in his speech at Ave Maria when he said UDC leader Duma Boko endorsed the Sidney Pilane led BMD committee? Did Gaolathe give UDC a chance to mediate?
These are some of the questions that a voter should answer in 2019 general elections before casting a vote for AP. It is clear that while Gaolathe faction sought the UDC intervention in the shadows they were forming the new party. Talk of bad faith, deceit, greed for power and egocentrism. The leadership of AP will be registered in the annals of history as deceitful lot.
Today’s thought
“Sometimes people hold a core belief that is very strong. When they are presented with evidence that works against that belief, the new evidence cannot be accepted. It would create a feeling that is extremely uncomfortable, called cognitive dissonance. And because it is so important to protect the core belief, they will rationalize, ignore and even deny anything that doesn’t fit in with the core belief.”
– Frantz Fanon