Motswaledi speaks

| Friday June 11, 2010 00:00

 

Mmegi: What are your hobbies?

Motswaledi: I play Sunday soccer and also love watching football and other sports in general.

Mmegi: Which church do you attend?

Motswaledi: My parents are members of the Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Church, whilst I grew up going to Lontone (UCCSA) and I still do.

Mmegi: Are you married?

Motswaledi: No, not yet.

Mmegi: What is your shoe size?

Motswaledi: I put on size eight and nine.

Mmegi: When did you join the BDP?

Motswaledi: I was active in the activities of BDP from my late years of secondary education, more on the musical side. But I was as much part of its spirit as it was a part of mine. However, I formally joined and had a membership card in August of 1989.

Mmegi: For the number of years that you have been in the BDP, can you explain why it took you so long to realise that the BDP party president has a lot of powers?

Motswaledi: Up until today, I still believe that finely interpreted, the BDP constitution gives its presidency powers of action within a consultative environment of a democratic society. All other leaders have interpreted their delegated powers of action to be exercised within the tradition and spirit of the whole constitution and establishment.  Lately, there is a melody of unilateralism inspired into the interpretation.

Mmegi: Is it because you and other Barata-Phathi members wanted certain positions of power and therefore felt with an all-powerful president it would be difficult to do so?

Motswaledi: The adverse is true. We had positions we campaigned for in an open democratic environment.  A coup was staged against us through the unilateralism to have us out by one who had not made it a secret that he fails to like us, let alone appreciate just to work with us.  I have a sneaky feeling that our presence in the leadership of the party discomforted someone who knew that we would not allow absolutist tendencies to control. We were offended by continuous manipulation and blackmail as well as selective justice.

Mmegi: During the case between you and president Khama, did you feel that some people, friends or colleagues were deserting you?

Motswaledi: Not once did I feel colleagues deserted me.  I believed in that move so tenaciously that I could hardly spare a moment to check who was deserting me and by what measure.  I feel I had support, prayers and good wishes from so many people including traditional political adversaries.  What a grace! I like radiating and receiving positive energy than scavenging for flimsy and destructive courses.  I do not even enjoy imputing ill-motives on friends and foes.

Mmegi: What did you achieve by that case? Was it worth the trouble? Why did you not just leave the party?

Motswaledi: A deficit in democratic existence in this economy had shown lucid signs as a result of the new regime.  It was clear that the president enjoyed immunity in terms of Section 41.1 of the constitution. 

Someone had to 'guinea-pig' the process of assisting the nation to re-assess its constitution and energise it toward sponsoring and protecting a credible democratic culture in an open society. Drawing out the elitism, the paternalism and entrenching a people's democracy that is devoid of traces of arrogance and entitlement on the part of any people entrusted with leadership.  I chose to test the constitution by taking a humble fall and am happy that Batswana are more aware of the environment they are operating within than before.  I am also happy that I had a team of true democrats who shared this moment and ideals with me.

Mmegi: I understand you were forced to dump your political ambitions of representing the BDP by standing for elections in Serowe North West to make way for Khama's brother. You then landed in Gaborone Central. Why did you not question this and perhaps challenge it in court or any forum at the time?

Motswaledi: One has to choose their engagements well and have them well-timed for greater gains, not for themselves but for the greater good.  I am happy I let sleeping dogs lie then and I responded with a straight back at the right time, much later.

Mmegi: What vital lessons are you bringing into the BMD? That is what have you learnt from the BDP that will help you improve things in the BMD?

Motswaledi: I learnt how to deal with people, how to listen, how to be an advocate of collective ideals and how to mobilise as well as the sanctity associated with national governance.  Where things were done well and where there was an absolute lack of wellness in deed and thought, I have learnt a lot.  BMD will all be richer as a result of the interface between our collective experience and the humble yet robust spirit of the independents that have and continue to grace our party with membership.

Mmegi: On policy issues how different will it be from the BDP, because usually factions are different from their mother bodies in terms of administration but similar in policy?

Motswaledi: Surely there are some policies that are good for Botswana now and in the future but no doubt, a sizeable number of policies, structures delivering services, laws and many other things will change through engagement of people themselves in order that we go to a new level of existence and self-placement as a people.  The BMD government will entrench systems that accord with a society that is meritocratic, a society that promotes creative diversity and intellectual freedom, a society that allows civil liberties that entrench freedom of expression that allows us to learn, reform and earn as individuals and as a people. We are desirous of a society that allows its prosperity to be driven by its people for its people; a humble society that makes the best out of the opportunities it creates externally; a society that holds on to old friends while exploring new ones; a society that does not grand stand on the world stage thus remain true and principled, yet humble and humane in giving and receiving counsel from friendly countries and all neighbours. Our policy process is going to be open and consultative and no doubt, the product will be leaps above the current situation. We are about affordable yet marked change and transformation of this beloved nation. We can surely do as a nation, the better we deserve and this can come our way through decisive change of regime.

Mmegi: If Khama leaves the presidency, will you and other Barata-Phathi members go back to the BDP because there is an understanding that the BMD is founded on the anger and frustrations of Barata-Phathi members about Khama's style of leadership?

Motswaledi: BMD is not formed out of any anger. BMD members are the happiest people in town and we call on the nation to be part of this excitement and happiness.  This is a happiness measured for gainful transformation of our society and thus plunging it on a much higher pedestal of existence and aura. In this way, why would we go back?  Why would we opt to regress the fortunes of the nation by such an action when we stand on a vantage ground to thrust it much further?

Mmegi: How many MPs should we expect to join the BMD?

Motswaledi: A very handsome figure.  Wait and see.

Mmegi: What were the major resolutions of the convention?

Motswaledi: That the convention endorses all steps/processes taken to establish the BMD and commends the Excutive Committee (ExCo) for its delivering on the principal mandate of the historic March 20th Meeting held in Mogoditshane; that the convention mandates ExCo to undertake all processes necessary to establish party structures in terms of the BMD Constitution with the objective of conveying the inaugural Congress of the party preferably in November 2010, but no later than July 2010; that the Convention mandates ExCo to engage in exploring dialogue with patriotic organisations committed to democracy with a view to effecting a change of government by 2014.  Any decision with respect to the result of the dialogue shall be made by the BMD Congress; that the Convention mandates ExCo to co-opt more members into its fold to enhance its capacity to accomplish its functions; to applaud all delegates, observers and party members who participated in this historic national Convention and further to mandate them to report back on the deliberations and proceedings of the Convention.

Mmegi: I have it on good authority that BMD members have been moving to countries like South Africa and others to get political support. How successful have you been in this regard?

Motswaledi: The BMD has not yet started to formally introduce itself to other parties in the country, the region and the world.  We would surely be doing that in a few weeks.  BMD ExCo will have that in their action soon.

Mmegi: Can you shed more light on the BMD project?

Motswaledi:  The BMD project manifests itself in three phases.  The first was to register the party, give it a name, brand it appropriately, put in place membership management protocols then report to members.

The second, which is the current is to set up an administrative nerve centre, begin a process of developing a political and policy platform, setting up of structures in terms of the BMD Constitution and do general mobilisation and registration of members in preparation for the inaugural congress to be held preferably in November 2010. 

The third phase involves the few months of asserting organisational gravity after the election of the inaugural national executive committee and associated national structures at the congress.

Mmegi: What is ExCo's clear role in the running of the BMD?

Motswaledi: Right from the March 20 convention to the May 29 convention, ExCo was endorsed to lead activities of what has come to be the BMD.  ExCo will until the statutory Inaugural Congress, assume the role of what the Constitution states as functions of the National Executive Committee.

At the current phase of the project, as in the initial, there are streams with stream leaders.  These streams are; Mobilisation, Administration, Financial Planning and Treasury, Networking Management, Political and Policy Platform, Communications and Publicity, Youth and Women.  These streams comprise of members of BMD including members of ExCo.  ExCo, is the one that takes the final decisions in terms of the mandate given by the convention.

Mmegi: As chairman of ExCo, what is your role?

Motswaledi: I play the role of chairperson with Botsalo Ntuane as my deputy. Our role is project coordination and management to ensure that all ExCo tasks are performed according to the agreed diary.  Our other job is to facilitate and coordinate decision processes of ExCo.