BDP awash with resources whilst BCP struggles

RYDER GABATHUSE
Staff Writer | Wednesday August 18, 2010 00:00

However BDP executive secretary, Dr Comma Serema was yesterday reluctant to outline the BDP strategy for the September 4 Tonota North by-election, but indicated that 'We have adopted our strategy called 'Weather Bureau''. For fear that BDP rivals might counteract its strategy, Serema would not discuss the issue in greater detail. 'Even in the 2009 general election, we used the same strategy,' Serema revealed in an interview with Mmegi. 

Though former BDP secretary general and Cabinet minister Jacob Nkate could not harness the results of the BDP's 'Weather Bureau' strategy as he lost elections for Ngami, Serema says it was Nkate's brainchild. In the last elections, Nkate doubled as the head of the BDP manifesto team and the National Elections and Strategy Team (NEST). Serema regards the BDP election strategy as a powerful tool that is result-oriented and 'it helps us to knock at every door'. He concedes that it is expensive to execute the party strategy but notes that politics is equally an expensive undertaking.  The BDP has deployed party vehicles and operatives in all the wards to work permanently there, which is impossible for the struggling opposition party. The ruling party also has more councillors who are determined to add value to the campaign. 'It has always been part of our bigger plan to cover the whole Tonota North constituency. For us it's part of our strategy that every vote counts, hence we are going to reach almost every potential voter in the area before the by-election,' said Serema. He adds that every vote must be counted and they will be counting the votes on polling day. The BDP is fielding Fidelis Molao against Dr Habaudi Hubona of the BCP to fill the seat, which fell vacant when former Member of Parliament (MP) Baledzi Gaolathe died early this month. 'Elections are our lifeline just like a human being needs oxygen to survive. If we win the elections, life goes on but if we lose, we disappear,' said Serema. Whilst the BDP can't disclose the type of resources it has marshalled for the by-election campaigns, officials are confident that they will get the desired results.

'The level of interest in the by-election is so great that people are highly committed in committing their resources to the campaigns,' observed Serema. He oozed confidence that the BDP will retain the Tonota North constituency.

The BDP, he says, is determined to fulfil its retain-defend-consolidate strategy and that is the reason why it has committed a lot of resources in the campaigns.  'Our registers are telling us that we have the numbers. All our energies are concentrated in the constituency that we are going to retain.' On the other hand, Botswana Congress Party (BCP) campaign manager in the area, Vain Mamela highlighted his party's transport challenges. Mamela, a member of the BCP central committee wishes his party could be having motor vehicles deployed in all the area wards to match the BDP pound for pound. 'We depend on our comrades who also have other commitments. You would also note that this constituency is surrounded by cattle posts and it is vast as well,' he bemoaned the hurdles they have to overcome. He pointed out that most of the areas are about 30km apart with bad roads.

'People who registered for the 2009 general elections need to be visited amid all these challenges. So those with good resources will make it at the end of the day,' he said. He described the by-election as a tight affair despite that the BDP is awash with the requisite resources to run an effective campaign. 'The BDP has party motor vehicles running all over the bushes. The party councillors and MPs do have their vehicles, which therefore, simplifies their campaigns. He says the biased business community is also boosting the ruling party campaigns by showing their loyalty by doling out some handouts. For instance, Mamela noted worriedly that Cabinet ministers use ministerial transport to lend a hand in the campaigns. 'Publicity material is generally expensive in the vast area and we can only miss out visiting some of the areas at our peril.' His view is that if the government of the day were considerate, it would be financing all the political parties to enrich the country's old democracy. 'At times parties just lose the elections simply because the resources at their disposal did not permit them to access some areas.' But with the biting global economic recession, Mamela says the BDP government will continue to have a justification for its failure to listen to the opposition. Even with all the challenges ahead, Mamela declares: ' There is a serious contest there and it will not be the walkover the BDP is used to. We continue doing everything that is within our power to tilt the political scales.' Mamela says in some instances, 'some of our team members ride on donkey carts in an endeavour to make a difference in the remotest areas. 'Meanwhile, as part of the BCP strategy, party president Dumelang Saleshando is scheduled to conduct a house-to-house campaign in the Chadibe/Borolong area in Tonota North. He will address a political rally in the afternoon of the same day. The following day he will proceed to Mathangwane village where he would start with a house-to-house campaign in the morning and a rally in the evening.

On Sunday he will be in Marapong village for door-to-door campaigns in the morning and a political rally in the evening. Mamela vowed that whilst they lack resources, his party 'is not ready to surrender the area to the BDP'.