BDP meets ANC

Staff Writers | Tuesday August 26, 2008 00:00

 

The BDP delegation had cabinet ministers Daniel Kwelagobe and Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi; and the party's political affairs and administration manager, Fidelis Molao. Kwelagobe is BDP chairman. Word has it his delegation met with  ANC president Jacob Zuma and his deputy Kgalema Motlanthe.

BDP executive secretary, Dr Batlang Serema, confirmed that the BDP trio attended a meeting in South Africa with the ANC. Serema said he was not in a position to say what was discussed at the meeting as he is waiting for a report from the BDP delegation.  

Mmegi has it on good authority that the Johannesburg meeting was held at the instigation of the ANC. At its historic Limpopo congress, which ushered in the leadership of Zuma, the ANC resolved that it needed to foster stronger working relationships.

'The conference strongly recommends the consolidation of SADC as a Regional Economic Community as a first step towards the development of the African Union Government.

* Also noting that the SADC region still faces a number of challenges that need to be resolved so as to ensure its effective functioning. Conference also recognises the need for political will within the SADC countries and its leadership to be able to achieve SADC objectives.

* The ANC has to play a prominent role in strengthening and consolidating the region politically.

* To achieve our economic and political programmes as agreed by the SADC regional leadership - our approach should be developmental and ensure diversification of the economies of the member states.

Furthermore, the SADC Parliament should be established so that it could engage and contribute to a common approach on issues in the region.'

The ANC-BDP meeting is viewed as a sequel to these resolutions.
Over the years, the BDP and the ANC have not had a very strong relationship. As a liberation movement, which locates its politics in the politics of the left, the ANC up to the mid-1990s has had stronger ties with the opposition Botswana National Front (BNF).

Towards the 1994 Botswana general elections, it was alleged that the ANC had donated some vehicles to the BNF to use in its campaign.

The ANC still considers itself a left-leaning party or possibly a centre-right or conservative party. But the politics of the ANC and regional politics have shifted dramatically.

Both the BDP government and the Zuma faction of the ANC seem to share a common view about Robert Mugabe's regime in Zimbabwe. As a leadership that would take over in South Africa after April 2009, it could have been convenient to start warming up to a ruling party that they have neglected over the years.

The South African High Commission in Gaborone told Mmegi that they are not aware that a meeting between the BDP and the ANC had taken place.

From South Africa, Venson-Moitoi could only confirm the meeting but said she was not at liberty to discuss the details.

She preferred that Kwelagobe, who led the BDP delegation should provide the details. But Kwelagobe was not available. The ANC spokesman was also not able to say what the meeting discussed. He said he was unaware that the meeting took place.