The BCP from 2009-2014 (Part 1)

DUMELANG SALESHANDO | Friday July 19, 2013 00:00

This phrase has been used by many other commentators outside the BCP to describe the state of our country. We had warned that the election of President Ian Khama and his BDP would lead to economic collapse and dictatorship.  It did not take long for President Khama to vindicate the BCP warning.  Who would have thought in 2009, that by the year 2013, Botswana would be subjected to;

Crisis in education, with results declining consistently throughout the years while the Ministry of Education can declare close to 1 billion pula as unspent funds for a financial year while students go without text books,Crisis in health, with patients not being provided with basic medicines and hospitals that are understaffed and running short of basic equipment required for health care provision.Crisis in power generation, with households subjected to unending periods of darkness and businesses being crippled by the high costs of purchasing generators for their own power supply Crisis at the BMC, with highly placed individuals like former president Ketumile Masire complaining that racism is deeply entrenched in national institutions and the beef industry in general

Crisis at the BDC, with multimillion pula investment projects falling apart on account of rampant corruption Crisis in delivering government projects such as stadia, airports and schools.  Some of our stadia that were earmarked for the 2010 world-cup regional hype are still to be completed, less than a year before the next world cup.  There is hardly any government project that has been delivered within time and budget.  Crisis in the public sector as the government continues to mount an unending fight against the trade unions and frustrates all efforts geared at attaining meaningful collective bargaining.Crisis of leadership, as ministers for the first time in the history of the country use titles such as Accused Number 1 and Honourable Minister inter-changeably

In the midst of this national storm, the commander of the ship appears indifferent.  He can afford to make statements that compliment some of the failing ministers, such as the minister of Agriculture.  Not a single minister has been dropped from cabinet on account of failure to deliver on their mandate, demonstrating that President Khama is content with the sloppy performance of his ministers.President Khama, whose ascendancy to the highest political office was not based on a proven track record of political leadership, but was rather propelled by the public hope that his leadership would emulate that of his late father who was the founding president of the republic, has failed to provide strategic political leadership.He has introduced 'Red Cross Politics' that focus on distributing blankets and soup.  Acts of charity are always commendable but should never be the focus of the Presidency.  If Ian Khama had succeeded his late mother as the head of the Red Cross, there is no doubt that he would have performed exceptionally well in the role, save for the tendency to parade poor people on national television which is devoid of dignity and is discouraged by the bible (Matthew 6 verse 1 to 4).  As head of state he is simply misplaced and has given credence to the Setswana saying, 'E e mashi ga e itsale.'

In addition to the unending crisis that is engulfing the entire nation, President Khama has made a number of promises to Batswana through the state of the nation addresses which he has not followed through.  We highlighted such false promises when we evaluated his five years in office and I wish to repeat some of them here;In 2008 he promised to introduce a contributory insurance scheme for the agricultural sector to make it easy for farmers to access loans.  He has failed to put such a scheme in place. Still in 2008 he promised to introduce a new instalment purchase scheme to be administered by BHC to provide affordable housing to BHC.  The scheme has not been put in place and the Minister of Housing recently informed Parliament that this will not be done within NDP 10. He also promised in 2008 that government will pay allowances to players of the Premier League as well as First Division North and South.  The players are still waiting for the first allowance payment after five yearsIn 2009 he announced that he has instructed the Minister of Lands and Housing to come up with solutions for the housing of public officers. The housing of public officers remains an unresolved problem. Also in 2009 he announced a new housing scheme that will include high density and multi-residential houses for the youth and the first time home owners.  Not a single housing complex of this nature has been built. In 2010 he announced that the privatisation of BTC and selling of shares to citizens will be completed by April 2011.  BTC still remains wholly owned by government to this day The Khama leadership has failed and cannot be trusted with its own promises.

The BCP performance since 2009 BCP-BAM MergerWhilst we went to the 2009 general elections as two separate entities, the merger of our two former parties has been cemented.  I am certain that we all appreciate the value that we have jointly brought to the new formation. Batswana have accepted the new BCP as demonstrated by our performance in by-elections since the introduction of the new symbol and party colours.  There is no turning back and contrary to the common view that opposition parties can never get their act together when it comes to cooperation, our has been a happy marriage.

Adoption of Strategic PlanIn 2011 the party adopted a strategic plan that assessed our current reality and outlined the way forward for the party.  Our vision statement, 'To be the party of choice in delivering a just, fair and prosperous Botswana for all,' is at the heart of all the activities we undertake as well as the programmes and policies we propose.   A number of meetings have been held to roll out the plan and constituencies now know what is expected of them to deliver victory in the coming elections.

Review of the party constitutionOur party constitution has been subjected to an intensive review by all the party structures.  This process has taken much longer than was initially anticipated and should hopefully be concluded by this congress.  The proposed amendments are meant to better align the party with modern day challenges.  Our party will need to continue introspecting and reforming the manner in which it operates to allow for greater efficiency and impact by our structures.  The composition of the central committee will be changed by the amendments as well as the term of office of the central committee to align it with the national political elections calendar.

Opposition CooperationIn 2010 we resolved to engage other opposition parties in possible cooperation in the run up to the 2014 general elections.  By the end of 2011, there was minimal progress and it was doubtful that a conclusion could be reached within a reasonable period.  We remain convinced that cooperation by opposition parties would assist in speeding up the change agenda for Botswana.

We are also equally convinced that such cooperation must be on the basis of solid shared values and vision and not a hastily concocted arrangement with cracks that cannot guarantee a stable government.  We recently supported the BNF in the Letlhakeng by-election and will continue to support other opposition parties in the 2014 general elections in areas where we may not be able to field candidates.  This support is unqualified and not conditional on whether or not the other parties reciprocate.  It is therefore important for our cadres to exercise caution when engaging other opposition parties as we will need each other in the future.

Performance in ParliamentOver the past 4 years, our representatives in the National Assembly have campaigned for the adoption of laws and policies that are in line with our values.  They have also held the BDP government to account and defended the interests of the ordinary Motswana.  Parliament has adopted a BCP sponsored motion calling for the investigation of factors leading to the deteriorating performance of the Botswana Meat Commission and the beef industry in general.  Most families, particularly in the rural areas, are dependent on the beef industry and our intervention through Parliament will help to protect and enhance the economic survival of many Batswana.A motion calling for the ratification of international instruments that will lead to Botswana joining other nations in the recognition of socio, economic and cultural rights has also been adopted by the Botswana Parliament.  This should have a major impact in redefining the scope of human rights in Botswana beyond the traditional political rights. Parliament, also at the behest of the BCP, has called on government to eliminate Value Added Tax for first time home owners as a way of promoting home ownership in Botswana. Once this is implemented, many young Batswana who do not qualify to secure home loans may get an opportunity of a lifetime to invest in their own houses.

A BCP sponsored motion calling for the establishment of rehabilitation centres for drug and alcohol addicts has also been adopted.  Such centres should go a long way in helping those members of our society who have become trapped by the scourge of drug and alcohol abuse.  It is in the economic interest of the country that such individuals be assisted to regain full control of their lives and contribute to the development of the nation. There are numerous other BCP sponsored motions that have been rejected by the BDP majority, not because they lacked merit, but purely on grounds that the BDP gets embarrassed by having to be led by a party in the opposition on serious issues, while their leadership is focusing on backyard gardens. In the past week, Parliament rejected a motion proposing the introduction of mother tongue instruction for early primary, something that is recommended by United Nations Agencies.  They have also rejected a bill on Freedom of Information and stated that they would rather it be brought by their minister.  We must however continue to present motions that matter to the lives of Batswana as they are the final judges on the relevance and necessity of the motions we present.

Extra Parliamentary AgendaThe BCP has a long history of engaging the BDP on national issues beyond the floor of Parliament.  A case in point is that of the CKGR issue when government was engaged in an expensive but senseless legal battle with Basarwa.  The findings we made at the time were in essence supported by the decision that was finally made by the High Court.  We have also mounted demonstrations to highlight the plight of Botswana Power Corporation customers who were receiving extra ordinarily high bills for their domestic consumption.Recently, when Parliament rejected a motion calling for a land audit, we mounted demonstrations in Francistown and Gaborone.  The demonstrations take place in the vicinity of people that are directly affected and allows them to engage our activists on the issue of concern.  There is need to now petition Parliament on the strength of the public support that has been demonstrated and demand that the issue of a land audit be revisited.

The Road to 2014Our party is now preparing for the 2014 general elections.  We will be going into this election not as participants but as competitors.  I believe that Batswana will vote for us, not only because the failures of the current administration are glaring, but more importantly they will vote for us because of our clear message of how we will deliver a better Botswana for current and future generations.As resolved by the 2012 Sefhare conference, we will be discussing the draft manifesto for the 2014 general elections.  The key issues that we decided to focus on are the economy, labour, education, health, democracy, and housing and land administration. I wish to highlight the key issues that we propose in the manifesto which will be key priority areas for a BCP led government.