It appears President Ian Khama will brook no views divergent from positions adopted by the party or, to put it bluntly, imposed by him, and will purge anyone who dares to hold otherwise. MP Botsalo Ntuane has always been a critic of the new Liquor Act, like many other MPs across the political spectrum. He is one of a few young representatives in Parliament and, being young, it is reasonable to expect him to hold strong views on matters that concern the youth. Further, Ntuane's views reflect a particular constituency within our national electorate. As a politician who intends standing for an urban seat, Ntuane must represent the views of that particular constituency. It is not a secret that the urban and the young constituency has experienced problems since the enforcement of the new liquor law. The informal sector, restaurant owners, nightclub owners and artists have opposed this controversial piece of law because of the impact it is having on their means of livelihood.
This is the context within which responsive and alert representatives like Ntuane speak. But Khama, contrary to his pronouncements that he is a veritable democrat, appears to believe in beating everyone into homogeneity, which is the antithesis of democracy.
