Own Correspondent
13th April 2024
The late former Botswana Congress Party(BCP) leader Michael Dingake has been described as a tower of that stole nobody’s light, a giant in whose presence no one felt small and a humble, principled and courageous man by former Member of Parliament(MP) Unity Dow in emotional eulogies at his funeral at Notwane grounds.
Released from Robben Island in 1981 he joined the University of Botswana(UB) and entered politics in 1992, whereupon he was elected Vice President of the opposition Botswana National Front(BNF)in 1993. He reportedly championed house to house campaigns resulting in the BNF winning 13 seats at the 1994 General Elections and later created a jealousy culminating in his expulsion with 11 other MP’s.
The rebels would later form the Botswana Congress Party(BCP) after they were attacked by a mob of concerned group vigilantes at the BNF Annual Congress at Palapye Community Hall in July 1998.
“This led to the disgruntled leaders and their followers resolving to jump ship from the BNF and form a new political dispensation, devoid of indiscipline and disorderliness. This is because these disgruntled members aspired for a new political home with peace and stability,” said Isaac Stephen Mabiletsa, Formerly Member of Parliament for Kgatleng East constituency.
He said, “This is what led to the formation of the Botswana Congress Party(BCP) with its symbol as party ya Leeba. Dr Michael Kitso Dingake became its founding President.”
A career administrator he graduated from Robben Island with a Bachelors degree in Political Science and Economics, Public Administration and Local Government Accounting and a B.Comm in Business Economics and Accounting. He was a political scientist, economist and technocrat.
A contemporary of the deceased during the 7th Parliamentary(1994-1999), Isaac Mabiletsa served with Dingake in the BNF Central Committee when he was Vice President and Mabiletsa was its Treasurer. Mabiletsa accused the BNF and the UDC of deviating from its philosophy of protecting the mass interests of its core constituency and lacking accountability to its members.
“We in the BCP applaud and commend Comrade Michael Kitso Dingake for leaving us a good legacy and a movement that is disciplined and characterized and guided by observance of party disciplinary code of conduct, constitution and party procedures in its operation,” said Mabiletsa.
Michael Dingake joined the African National Congress(ANC)in 1952 during the Defiance campaign and served in various capacities starting with being elected Secretary of Alexandra branch in 1957.
After the arrest of Mandela and other high profile ANC leaders, Dingake assumed responsibility for MK Operations, including the infiltration of trained MK cadres back into South Africa. He was a part of the senior ANC/MK executive that met in Lobatse on October 27-28 1962.
During this turbulent period he also assisted FRELIMO guerilla fighters, including Samora Machel, to reach and enter Botswana. In 1965 with the Apartheid Police closing in, Dingake moved back to Botswana where he acted as the external contact person for ANC underground machinery in Johannesburg while he organized infiltration routes for MK guerillas from Zambia through Botswana.
“As a result of betrayal, on December 8, 1965, Dingake was arrested in the train while in transit through Rhodesia on his way back to Lusaka. He was then transferred to the South African authorities who subjected him to severe torture and abuse before sentencing him to 15 years prison term in Robben Island,” said Mabiletsa.
Mabiletsa complained that despite the sacrifices Dingake made for the ANC they did not support him when he led the resource constrained Botswana Congress Party(BCP).
“Lack of support from his ANC allies defies logic for someone who was a freedom fighter alongside with them. MK was the mastermind planner of liberation struggle in South Africa but was deserted by ANC when they assumed state power. I didn’t expect ANC to be so indifferent given the role of Dingake played in their liberation struggle. This is extremely pathetic,” said Mabiletsa.
