Has the BDP lost direction?
Friday, February 21, 2014
The fact that the BDP remained the epitome of cohesion and stability while the opposition was the arena of debilitating disputes, factionalism and splits made it the only credible force.
Those who, for political reasons, would not admit that the BDP was unrivalled in the art of dispute management like to explain the performance of the ruling party in this regard as the natural outcome of incumbency. The party, on the other hand, used this positive record to portray the opposition as being devoid of the necessary managerial wherewithal to run government. The voting public, for which the self-praise was meant, not only witnessed hordes of opposition party members joining BDP ranks but opposition cadres tearing at each other in the media.
Instead, it has sparked a storm of accusations, denials, and unresolved questions about the influence of De Beers on the nation’s politics. Former president Mokgweetsi Masisi’s claims that the diamond giants bankrolled his removal to dodge taxes – and that the new Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) government watered down a favourable diamond deal – are explosive matters. But without evidence, they risk becoming a toxic distraction from...