Our country on fire

| Monday June 21, 2010 00:00

Notwithstanding, in reality the country is still a colony of the former coloniser underground if not re-colonised by other invisible powers. For those powers to control the so-called independent country, a class society needs to be created. The Botswana the ruling BDP has achieved one big thing, namely - a class society. The rational or creating classes is that the powerful class (that is economically and politically strong) will always associate with the colonisers and exploiters. Even though the elites in the society are very small in number, they are very powerful because they collaborate with the colonisers in reality. Although they think and behave as though they have power, they are the real tools used by the imperialists.

Critically speaking, the so-called powerful in Botswana are powerless because they cannot think for themselves.The only power one must be proud of is to think independently. If you cannot think for yourself then you are no longer human. Human beings are thinking creatures by nature. However, some people, especially the power seekers and up being subhuman because other people make decisions for them. It is worth noting that in a class society, the classes are always antagonistic.

Sometimes one class antagonises itself by fighting over whom should re-colonise which group within one class.The current BDP factional fighting is a true example of one class fighting to please the real source of power. It is from this background that the split of BDP and the formation of BMD should be seen. The real issue is not how undemocratic Khama and how democratic Barata-Phathi are. The issue is, 'Who is behind the two groups?'  To think that imperialist agents are not involved in Botswana politics is illusionary. I wonder whether our political scientists as well as political analysts have ever read a book by John Brumer that is titled 'To the President's eye only.' If they had never read it, I will advice them to do so as soon as possible before they continue to mislead our people. To start with, let me confess for the sake of those who do not know me. I am writing as a Pan Africanist Scientific Socialist Liberation theologian. I am addressing our national crisis from a certain perspective.

There is no doubt that our country is on fire. Normally when the house is on fire everyone in the community is expected to take part in putting off the fire. Some people will come with water, while some with sand and tree branches etc. It is from this understanding that those who address our national crisis should sow their true colours.

We may talk one language without even understanding each other. It is not even enough to be angry with Khama. You have to learn from what history teaches us. History teaches us that sometimes those who break away from ruling parties and form movements for democracy become even worse when they win state powers.

MMD in Zambia is a good example. Most if not all of Chiluba's ministers were former members of UNI-Kaunda's party. We all know that MMD under Chiluba that is now under Banda is doing! Now we are told that in Zimbabwe Morgan Tsvangirai is speaking the same language with Mugabe. This does not mean that the BMD's are like Chiluba or Tsvangarai. In my view, the BMD leaders are very intelligent and patriotic people, but the nation should always be remindful of the fact that for many years they had been members of BDP, a party that was manufactured by imperialism to serve the interests of the imperialists and their local agents. The BDP saga has confirmed what some of us already know that it is nothing else but an agent of imperialism! However, it is equally important to emphasise that the partriotic forces who left the BDP and form BMD should be commended. They also need to be re-educated so that they should know that the real issue is not just Khama's methods of running the country but the issue of neo-colonialism. Neo colonialism makes the distribution of goods and services unequal in favour of the few for the sake of class creation!

Therefore what is needed in our motherland is a formation of a patriotic front (PF) composed of all opposition parties including the BMD. This can be possible after the resurrection of Botswana National Front in July 2010. BNF was injured and got sick in Palapye. It died in Kanye and was buried in Molepolole. It must however be resurrected in Mochudi where it was born! The resurrection of the BNF will depend on BNF masses not the leadership. The issue is not all about Moupo's stepping down. It is about the BNF masses being allowed to elect a leader of their choice without ay form of influence. The BNF leadership is playing the current game of preventing Duma Boko from standing for election. This game that is against the will of the BNF masses raises more questions than answers.

One might wonder whether the current BNF leaders are also working for the interests of the invisible forces? The question of Boko being a member of NDF or not is not only a legal question but most importantly also the political question. Those who are politically honest will agree that PUSO, BCP as well as NDF members are in reality BNF members. Some people formed these political groups due to emotions and expulsions. To be honest some of the people who remained behind in BNF are not really BNF. They are rather opportunists who flooded BNF when the party was nearly in the position of taking state power. That is why immediately after Kanye congress, the first thing the opportunists did was to distance themselves from pamphlet number 1 and destroyed the BNF constitution. Their actions made BNF to be on a sick bed.

The original BNF constitution did not support lobby list. Constituencies used to nominate candidates whom they want to stand for election. For example, a person who stands for election had to be nominated by three constituencies. Nonetheless, the current system where those who have money are to come out with the list of their friends and market it to the people is not only evil but also undemocratic. This is so because it denies the masses to elect the people of their choices when the candidates on the lobby lists are marketed to the poor masses.

Those that had been elected in that manner are likely to become the properties of those whom marketed them!Coming back to the issue of Boko and BNF leadership, I believe Boko has taken the right route by taking the matter to the congress instead of the court. Having said that, he must also have option B. The question Boko must answer now  is; what if the congress deny you to stand? In my view option B will be for Boko to call upon his supporters to vote for Kanjabanga. He should then gather his tools and join forces with Kanjabanga. Those who know both Boko and Kanjabanga will agree with me when I say ideologically, they are the same. They are both Komaist. That is why both should be allowed to stand. If one of them can win, BNF will surely resurrect. In that way Boko will be participating in making the formation of a patriotic front rational easy and fast. Therefore, Batswana can extinguish the fire burning our beloved country!

When people live in fear, when they see the wealth of their country enjoyed by few and foreigners; it means the country is on fire. When people are controlled like cattle, then the country is on fire. The country is on fire when the ruling party split. When the truth is no longer based on empirical evidence but on the approval of the powerful, then we are inclined to say, 'The country is on fire!' The country is on fire because we are not expected to think. There is someone who is thinking for us! It is high time we think for ourselves. This is not the question of politics but the question of survival. We cannot leave the survival of our nation on the hands of politicians alone. In any case all human beings are political animals. The time has come when every citizen must take side and act. Bonhoffer once said that not to act when there is injustice is to act on the side of injustice. We can no longer be expected not to act when then few non-Batswana is enjoying fruits of our country. I am very much like the statement by BMD leadership we need our country back. Ai bowe iAfrica! Lefatshe la rona!

Dr Cosmos MoengaGABORONE