25th November 2022
Sello Motseta
The Botswana Labour Party(BLP) officially launched today, almost three months after it had started a low key mobilisation campaign which culminated in a party which was largely inactive because of the ill health of its founding leader getting the go ahead to revitalize it again.
“We have left the Botswana National Front(BNF) because it no longer represented the interests of the masses as espoused by its founding members. Under the current leadership of the BNF we have witnessed tremendous decline of its original core values such as participatory democracy, collective leadership, democratic centralism and above all being the vanguard of the working class. Boko has become the BNF and the party has lost all credibility in the eyes of the voting public,” said Reverend Prince Dibeela, who is the interim leader of the Botswana Labour Party(BLP).
He said, “What is even sadder is that the party has become a space for insults, intolerance, abuse and outright criminality. There is no accountability and if you question the leader his favourite crowd, who call themselves fearfokol, come upon you with insults.”
Sombre looking party cadres in the dark green regalia of the new political kid on the block attended the inaugural press conference in Mogoditshane en masse.
These party activists were some of those who descended on Palapye on the 17th September 2022 from 20 BNF constituencies around the country to reflect on the way forward after being effectively barred from participating in the July BNF Congress.
“We need a credible opposition that is based on good governance, transparency and tolerance in order to remove the BDP. We believe that the time for the BDP is up and that Batswana are looking for a leadership that is characterised by integrity, good conduct and good practice,” said Dibeela.
The Botswana Labour Party who will hold a party congress on the 10th December 2022 in Lobatse is committed to campaigning for the development of 6 cities in the next 30 years with modern road and rail networks, airport and fast internet. It says it would lead to massive infrastructure around the country and end the migration to Gaborone for jobs at the expense of other areas.
They are also agitating for decentralisation of Government Ministries to different parts of Botswana and establishing a house of representatives including civic organizations, dikgosi, trade unions, churches and farmers to ensure wider representation in decision making.
They also advocate for regular consultations with an All-Party caucus and greater focus of supporting families to combat gender based violence and broken homes.
“We have to legislate against using alcohol, monies, clothes and other material things to lure people to vote for us. Boundaries have to be created in order to limit abuse of the electorate by buying their votes,” said Dibeela.
He said, ”As a country we have to create an ethical system that will govern our behaviour and ensure that there is zero tolerance to corruption, nepotism, unfair labour practices, indiscreet behaviour.”
It is still early days but the Botswana Labour party has already started talked to enter a collaborative arrangement with the Botswana Congress Party and the Alliance Party. There is a feeling amongst many political observers and neutrals that the democratic space is increasingly shrinking.
“When we talk about democracy, we talk about inclusivity. It should involve taking part and not just being present. This is important because democracy in Botswana is increasingly becoming symbolic,” said Nelson Sello, University of Botswana(UB)Political Analyst and BNF activist.
He said, “If you look at the processes of the Congress of the Botswana National Front(BNF) which I took part in they were flawed. The players in the congress were also the organizers. There was no independent entity organizing the elections. The electoral board of the BNF is appointed by the BNF President. Yet BNF often complains that general elections should be run by an Independent Electoral Commission(IEC) that does not operate under the auspices of Office of the President. They quite clearly do not have the moral authority to criticise the ruling Botswana Democratic Party(BDP).”
Sello also took issue with the verbal commitment of the Botswana National Front(BNF) President Duma Boko to democratic values and to inclusivity and questioned whether the opposition in its current configuration would add value to Botswana’s political landscape.
“If you look at the structures of the Botswana National Front it is the electoral board that facilitates the election of central committee elections. In the past BNF Congress only the BNF President was allowed to speak to constituency committees. No one else was allowed to speak to structures. These structures decide who stands for election to the central committee,” said Sello.
He said “Process was a farce because there is a strong difference between symbolic and authentic representation. Boko does not have the moral authority to talk about the fight for democracy. He is no better than those he criticises. We therefore need alternatives to what we have now.”
