It's all-Khama's people for the chairmanship

RYDER GABATHUSE
Staff Writer | Friday June 7, 2013 00:00

 

As the party heads to Maun, Khama has kept his cards very close to his chest so that he does not possibly divide party members. Not that he is pressed to announce his favourite candidate because all the three candidates for the chairmanship--Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi, Guma Moyo and Patrick Balopi --are loyal to him.

Khama might be comforted by the fact that in the chairmanship race they are all candidates of substance, sober minds and are all level-headed. Impressed by the elective congresses of both the BDP National Youth Executive Committee (NYEC) last year and the Women's Wing last month, Khama is possibly convinced that his party is stabilising. Now he can simply say, 'May the best candidate win'.

The BDP machinery is well-oiled and Khama can now afford neutrality without any fear. Having worked hard to achieve unity, he can't afford the risk of opening the old healing wounds of factionalism.Two years ago when the BDP went to an elective congress in Kanye, Khama put his money on an emerging female-led lobby group in which former cabinet member Tebelelo Seretse challenged incumbent party chairman Daniel Kwelagobe. Another former cabinet member who challenged the position of secretary general and lost was Lesego Motsumi. The two powerful women and others on Khama's preferred team performed dismally.

But, for their loyalty, the two women were rewarded with postings in the foreign service. Seretse is currently Botswana's Ambassador to the United States of America whilst Motsumi is placed in India as the head of the Botswana mission. Exactly a decade ago in Selebi-Phikwe, the occasion was the Women's Wing elective congress.

Then president Festus Mogae declared his firm support for his then deputy, Khama for the race of party chairmanship. The chairman at the time, Ponatshego Kedikilwe, who is now Khama's Vice President, watched in disbelief as Mogae influenced BDP diehards in a fully packed hall against him. Kedikilwe would later lose the chairmanship race in Ghanzi. This was at a time when he was deemed to be in total control of the party. It proved to the doubting Thomases that the influence of the party president over elective party positions was quite significant. Khama was brought to the BDP to unite a party torn asunder by bitter factionalism. Recent history must have been instructive in warding Khama away from explicitly announcing the horse he backs.

Venson-MoitoiKhama and Venson-Moitoi are on first name basis. Besides that they are both from Serowe, they are close. She is a Khama loyalist and a mature politician. She is a respected administrator and has the gift of the garb. As the political head of the Ministry of Education and Skills Development (MoESD), she has been enjoying massive support from the presidency. After a poor showing by the MoESD last year, especially in terms of handling matters of school examinations, Venson-Moitoi is gaining ground as she has been moving very fast to close the gaps. She previously had cat-and-dog relations with teachers trade unions  but she has managed to mend the relations through the help of President Khama. After shunning a meeting with teacher strade unions, Khama invited teachers twice to the State House and this seems to be bearing fruit.

Just recently, Khama announced at a kgotla meeting in the North East the need to revert teachers to the abandoned Teaching Service Act to govern their terms of service as opposed to the use of the general Public Service Act. Venson-Moitoi has resolved a lot of outstanding issues and with the impending Levels of Operation, which seeks to bring parity to the way teachers have been remunerated, teachers-ministry relations are now cordial.

Just recently, at a Botswana Teachers Union (BTU) congress, teachers from across the education sectors sang songs of praise for Venson-Moitoi and the Khama administration for the first time. Lately, wherever Khama goes, Venson-Moitoi is in tow -be it at a kgotla meeting, a blanket donation ceremony or a Khama soup and bread giveaway at Old Naledi. The million dollar question is whether Khama supports Venson-Moitoi for the chairmanship?

MoyoMoyo was formerly in Khama's Cabinet as a junior minister. The businessman-cum-politician has really caught the eye of his principal as a hard worker and a schemer generally. He is a go-getter who is seemingly destined to fight his way up the ladder in both the corporate world and politics. He is a business partner of a close friend of Khama, Thapelo Olopeng. Unconfirmed reports say he has complained to the party leadership that Venson-Moitoi enjoys political mileage by virtue of her cabinet responsibilities. Moyo has decided to follow the President wherever he goes. He is visible at all party events. He started off with a controversial regional congress in Tatisiding, which he reportedly sponsored fully with the help of Olopeng.

He was also all out at the Letlhakeng West by-election where he sponsored delegates with food, accommodation and allegedly donated a cow.At the just ended Women's Wing Congress in Kang, Moyo is reputed to have played a meaningful role in ensuring comfort to some delegates, by digging deep into his pockets.

He takes advantage of any available opportunity to get closer to the oh polloi and the President. Khama and the BDP are destined to benefit from welcoming Moyo with open arms from the Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD), a breakaway party of the BDP. By the way, he was among those who pioneered the formation of the BMD.

Moyo's case will go a long way in helping Khama to woo back other BMD members.        

Khama, who is the BDP chief campaigner, has gone all out to redeem the fortunes of his party and will never rest until he has done intensive damage to the BMD.

BalopiBalopi has been a member of the BDP Council of Elders, a party-recognised structure that enforces discipline and guidance. He is a loyal party servant who has served both the BDP and government in different capacities with diligence. He is very knowledgeable in matters of administration and a crafty politician who enjoys respect across the party divide. He is viewed as a neutral person who is also easy to work with.Balopi may not be chasing the President's attention around, but he has his advantages as a party elder. He is familiar with party processes and procedures. He is proud of his contribution in making the BDP what it is today.

He is a father figure par excellence Political commentator and University of Botswana (UB) lecturer Log Raditlhokwa says unlike Khama, Mogae during his time was under pressure to declare his support for Khama as his choice.'Remember that Mogae retired Khama from the military into politics to protect his presidency which was under threat then,' says Raditlhokwa.

He adds that for Mogae, declaring his open support for Khama was a must because, had Khama lost the chairmanship, the new man may have viewed it as betrayal. The political commentator observes that Khama would not want to be seen to be acting divisively and hence, it will be difficult for him to show that he is taking sides.'I think Khama is comfortable with anyone of the contestants and he will not want to rock the boat. He knows after all that whoever is voted to the chairmanship will dance to his tune.'Raditlhokwa further says that the fact that it seems quiet in the BDP going to the elective congress could be a sign that the quality of people the party has is doubtful.'That the party has had a quiet youth elective congress and then the Women's Wing elective congress could also suggest that the calibre of people in the party are those who are too weak to assert themselves,' he suggests.

'Now it seems the presidency is in control.'He says because Khama has been busy wooing back former BDP members from the BMD  in the case of Guma and others, he would like to use their case for more ex-BDP members to return to their former political home. 'He wants to show them through Moyo who has been allowed to contest for the party chairmanship after resigning from the BDP that they are most welcome'.He further observes, 'Moyo would have not wanted to return to the BDP just as an ordinary member. He could also be nominated to the party leadership by the party president if he fails to make it in the party elections'.His UB colleague and political scientist Dr. Bashi Mothusi says it will be difficult for Khama to openly declare his support for any of the candidates.'In the past party elections, it was clear that he (Khama) did not want Daniel Kwelagobe to retain the chairmanship. That is why he openly supported Tebelelo Seretse, who lost the race,' he observes.'Venson-Moitoi is in Khama's cabinet and they can discuss issues openly. Moyo connects through Khama's close friend, Olopeng who are in a business partnership,' he notes.

He feels strongly that it will not be easy for Khama to come in the open and support any of the candidates.'Once he can declare his support openly, he runs the risk of dividing the party which could also be costly,' he says, adding: ' The party president must be neutral and allow people to vote leaders of their choice.'

He observes that during the former president Sir Ketumile Masire's era, politicians simply battled for party positions without Masire openly taking sides.'It's important for the party leader to remain neutral as once party activists fight, it will be the responsibility of the party president to preach peace,' he says.