Lenyeletse Koma: The revolution continues

| Friday December 10, 2010 00:00

 

Koma remains a Marxist to the core.

At 71, age might have caught up with him, but Koma still by this enduring political doctrine. But the long years of struggle have taken their toll on the old man. Unlike some political activists who preach Marxism but lead the life of capitalists, Koma is fully committed to the Marxist ideal.

There are no contradictions in his life. Koma is living with the people in the impoverished the Peleng Township of Lobatse. He has very little to show off in terms of material possessions. Even his clothes have seen better days and the shoes are worn out.

But Koma has no regrets about his ideology of choice and describes socialism as the first stage of communism.

One of the pioneers of the Botswana National Front (BNF), Koma is considered to be among the vanguard of opposition politics. But he left the BNF after he was expelled and has formed his own movement, the Botswana Labour Party, an organisation that is almost non-existent.

Koma's involvement in politics goes to the pre-independence days when he was a student at Moeng College. 'I became interested in politics during the time of African nationalists like Kwame Nkurumah and Jomo Kenyetta. We became interested in politics before Botswana gained independence,' he reflects.

Other African nationalists of the time who inspired Koma included the late Joshua Nkomo of the Zimbabwean liberation movement. There was also Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia and Odinga Odinga of Kenya. Koma says those were the days of African nationalism when apartheid in South Africa was also at its peak. 

Infact, the South African liberation struggle also had an influence on the young Koma who went to school with the likes of Kopano 'Conference' Lekoma and James Pilane, who also became political activists. 

Moeng College had a student movement, and Koma and the other young activists ended up joining the Botswana Students Association. They later formed the Botswana Youth Federation, a highly political organisation with a Latin slogan, 'Duke et docerum pro Patria More,' meaning, 'It is noble and glorifying to die for the fatherland.'

Koma recalls that they were actively involved in southern African politics. The young activist became actively involved with the African National Congress (ANC) and the Basutoland Congress Party. Even though the media was not much advanced then, they kept up to date with current affairs. 'We identified with socialist politics. The struggle was between capitalism and communism. We were socialists. We became pro-Soviet Union,' says Koma, who was subsequently awarded a scholarship to study economics in the Soviet Union.

Others who left with him for studies in the USSR included Dr John Seakgosing (current Minister of Health), Shatin Mannathoko, Lekoma, Pilane, Boswell Iketleng and the late Mareledi Giddie. Koma says their scholarships were organised by the late Dr Kenneth Koma who had just come back from studying in the Soviet Union himself. Dr Kenneth Koma was one of the founders of the BNF. 'Kenneth Koma used the Botswana Youth Federation to launch the BNF,' Lenyeletse Koma recalls.

The veteran activist says an earlier tentative of the BNF was the Botswana United Front, which was meant to incorporate the Botswana Peoples Party (BPP), the Botswana Independence Party (BIP) and the new movement itself, but the unity talks collapsed.

Members of the new party consequently held a congress in Mochudi where it was agreed to call the party the Botswana National Front.

Koma says though they were members of the Botswana Youth Federation (BYF), they became actively involved in the BNF. Infact, the BYF was turned into the youth wing of the BNF. As a leader of the Botswana Youth Federation, Koma represented the organisation on the central committee of the BNF. Koma says they were the ones who mobilised the masses and started study groups for reading socialist literature. 'We studied the works of Marx and Lenin. We also learnt about the history of communist parties in countries like China and Cuba,' he recalls.

Koma served the BNF in various capacities until he was expelled from the party in the 1980s. At some stage, he was the head of the party's elections committee and of its political politburo that directed party's policies and advised BNF MPs to see to it that what the MPs articulated in Parliament was in line with the policies of the party.

Koma also served as the education secretary of the BNF and as a member of its organising committee. As education secretary, part of his brief was to teach some members of the party. Koma says he brought up a number of BNF activists who were initially ignorant about political issues.

Koma travelled extensively throughout the country mobilising for the party. He was also tasked with launching the party in areas where it was not known. 

Koma once contested general elections as BNF candidate for the Boteti constituency where he stood against the late former Vice President Lenyeletse Seretse and was defeated. But to Koma, it was not all about winning but selling the party as well. 'I contested in areas that were considered to be difficult. This was a move to popularise the party,' he says about strategy then.

Koma says he could have been fielded in Gaborone North in 1984 when instead the late Maitshwarelo Dabutha became the MP for the constituency. In accordance with Marxist principles, Koma selflessly decided to continue in the role of organiser and let Dabutha stand. Koma also became the chief strategist of the BNF. At one time, he was deployed to set up party structures in Lobatse where the BNF did not command much support then. Koma claims it was through his efforts that the BNF captured the Lobatse constituency for the first time in 1994. 

Ironically, it was while he was in Lobatse that he was expelled from the BNF. Koma remembers the day he was given his marching orders from the party vividly.  He was addressing a political rally at Peleng township when members of the central committee from Gaborone turned up at the rally to announce the shocking news.

Before being expelled, he was summoned to a disciplinary hearing at White City in Gaborone  but had walked out of the meeting because he felt that the people who were presiding over the case had vested interests in the outcome of the matter. There were other BNF officials whom Koma would have preferred.

In any case, one of the charges he faced was failure to take instructions from the party leadership. He was also accused of undermining the central committee. After his expulsion from the BNF, Koma formed his own party and is convinced that the BNF of today has derailed from the struggle. 'The BNF is in crisis. They are drifting from the ideology that formed the basis of the movement,' he says.

In Koma's view, the only party currently closest to his ideology is Themba Joina's MELS. He says he takes MELS so seriously that he wants his party to forge a working relationship with the organisation. Koma says he and others have been advising the BNF that the party as derailed from the struggle.

In so far as he is concerned, you cannot talk about the BNF without mentioning Pamphlet No.1, the party document authored by the late Dr Kenneth Koma. Pamphlet No.1 used to be the 'Bible' of the BNF, but these days the BNF activists hardly talk about the document. Another document that used to be synonymous with the BNF is Education in Black Africa. 'If you are a true BNF member, you should have read these documents,' says Koma, adding that his party has been grated BNF group membership.

One leftist politician that Koma revered was Dr Kenneth Koma. Although the two men were relatives, Koma says they were close to each other because of their political beliefs. 'Our relationship was based more on our belief in Marxism,' he says. Koma learnt much of his politics from the former BNF president whom he greatly admired. 'I can tell you about any article that was written by Dr Koma. I know his style,' he says.

Although many do not share his sentiments, Koma believes that the former BNF president, Otsweletse Moupo, had advanced the BNF cause. 'We differed with Moupo and I know he is Trotskyte. But I think he did so much for the BNF. I don't know much about the new president,' he says.

Koma has spent all his life committed to the struggle. He has never worked and has always been involved in politics. 'I have never worked. I sacrificed for the struggle,' he says. But he has no regrets about it. This is a role that he can play over and over again. Koma has also been involved in education development.  He was one of the founder members of the Mahalapye Secondary School, the project that used to be known as Mahalapye Continuation Classes, becoming its headmaster at one time, 'as a volunteer', he says.