After a lengthy silence, the Member of Parliament for Letlhakeng East, Liakat Kablay was in his element last week, firing from all cylinders.
Unfortunately, most of the time when he opens his mouth, the things he says hardly make sense to right thinking people. In his contribution to the 2015-2016 budget debate last Thursday, Kablay accused civil servants of sabotaging the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) policies and programmes. As usual, he did not produce any evidence whatsoever to back his misguided accusations and prescriptions. He suggested that only BDP card-carrying members should be appointed to senior positions in the civil service as a safety measure.
“If the BDP wants to stay in power, they must consider appointing party members to senior government positions,” he was quoted saying.
His remarks came a day after his BDP colleague and Minister of Defence, Justice and Security, Shaw Kgathi engaged in a heated debate with Opposition MPs, saying they were wrong to claim that members of the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) support the Umbrella for Democratic Change.
After a long debate, Kgathi urged MPs to desist from making such statements as they have the potential to cause instability in the army, and the nation in general. Indeed, he was right. Some of these statements have the potential to destabilise our country. We wonder whether Kablay was in Parliament when Kgathi engaged Opposition MPs on this BDF matter; what his interpretation was; and what it meant to him. Kablay’s call is no less harmful than the remarks allegedly made by Opposition MPs. To the honourable MP, we caution that your suggestion has many implications both to the welfare of civil servants and the general public.
Next, the likes of Kablay will demand that services should only be given to BDP-card carrying members; that BDP members should be given preference in queues for service; that contractors suspected of supporting Opposition should not be awarded tenders; that commercial banks should not give loans to clients sympathetic to opposition. The likes of Kablay might also demand that BDP members should not be prosecuted when found on the wrong side of the law; that magistrates and judges that do not support the BDP should be fired.
This is scary, the list is endless! What will happen when a new government takes over?
Honourable Kablay should make a public apology for his ill-advised comments, for they are more destructive, especially when made in the National Assembly.
Today’s thought
“It is not power that corrupts but fear. Fear of losing power corrupts those who wield it and fear of the scourge of power corrupts those who are subject to it.”
- Aung San Suu Kyi, Freedom from Fear
