Makgalemele should come clean

| Tuesday August 10, 2010 00:00

Before we could point accusing fingers, we might just ask - don't we have the right to change our minds? We dare say it is one of the entitlements that we should all enjoy in a democracy.  It is the same right that all of us enjoy when we separate from our lovers, but do not have the wisdom to go back once we realise that the young lover that we jilted our old lover for is no angel.  We sell our cars and once we are beyond the fancy with the new thing, we realise that we miss that old and reliable machine.  Since we allow ourselves the pleasures of back love and 'Maruping go a boelwa' let us not beat Makgalemele so hard for doing what we do all the time.

Perhaps the only difference is that Makgalemele, unlike the late Paul Rantao, Mokgweetsi Kgosipula, Leach Tlhomelang, Knox Kowa and Otlaadisa Koosaletse who left their parties and then came back, did not stay in his home for long.  The other defectors stayed longer and only went back to their original parties after a lot of water had passed under the bridge.

Makgalemele left the BDP less than a month ago and told the nation that after careful consideration, he decided to join the Botswna Movement for Democracy.  He did not use the word devil against the BDP, but he talked about the dearth of democracy in the party. Less than a month later, Makgalemelele is not exactly feasting on his vomit but he is contradicting what he said when he left the BDP.

There is an issue of trust and integrity that arises in his case.  Unless the honourable member is not candid with Batswana on why he is rejoining the BDP, he comes across as a leader who makes his decision on the spur of the moment. Of course we cannot say the honourable MP is exhibiting signs of immaturity and improper decision-making.  Who will ever trust Makgalemele?  Will his voters in Shoshong trust that their MP is not about to change political colours to BCP, BNF or MELS in the near future?  Will the BMD ever trust him? If the BDP were to reward him with a cabinet post, will the President or Batswana trust him given his fickle nature?

Not many people trust politicians because they have this habit of speaking from both sides of the mouth and the Shoshong MP has just given us fodder on why politicians cannot be trusted.

There has been a suggestion that the BDP is going around with a pot of gold doling out slush funds to politicians in financial difficulties to stop swell its ranks.  Cheap political talk-some may say.

Makgalemele, though, has a duty to tell the nation that if ever there was such a fund, his soul cannot be bought.  It will be a sad day if our legislators are bought.

The nation has a right to know whether indeed Makgalemele was in financial difficulties and what he is doing to rectify matters?

                                                         Today's thought

                     'There is poor inner party democracy in the BDP which undermines party policies'

                                        - Phillip Makgalemele, Shoshong MP