BCP’s coalition commitment: One foot in?
The Botswana Congress Party (BCP) has revealed that its decision to contest Bophirima ward in the Gaborone Bonnington South constituency outside the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) arrangement does not mark the official withdrawal of the party from the UDC. But the BCP, which is a key ally in the opposition coalition, knows that the decision might attract serious disciplinary action and it raises suspicions that the Dumelang Saleshando-led party might be on its way out of the coalition. But one foot still remains on the UDC doorstep. The BCP is neither leaving nor remaining, writes Mmegi Staffer
This week, the BCP central committee (CC) blatantly announced that the party does not recognise Mankie Sekete of the Botswana National Front (BNF) as the UDC Bophirima ward candidate and would instead field its preferred candidate Peter Mogapi using its name and colours in the upcoming by-election.
The BCP central committee is aware that the decision is likely to split votes and give the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) advantage going into the by-election. It also knows very well that the defiance might not only cost the party the ward, but threatens UDC stability, a matter the BCP claims has already been shaken by issues of poor governance, lack of consultations and communication by UDC leadership.
The BCP secretary-general (SG), Goretetse Kekgonegile told the media on Monday that UDC president, Duma Boko has spurned all efforts to convene a NEC meeting to discuss the Bophirima ward impasse.
This, amongst many complaints, shows that the BCP has been unhappy playing second fiddle to the BNF for quite sometime. While political analysts and rival parties have already anticipated the collapse of the coalition, the fracas at Bophirima ward has fuelled fire for weeks of infighting in the UDC.
With the UDC NEC unable to convene for a meeting, things are falling apart at the UDC and surely the centre cannot hold. The BCP SG complained further that the BNF treats the UDC secretariat more like the BNF since the UDC president, communications manager and even the UDC logo are all housed at the BNF offices.
But as BCP CC called the media on Monday to tell its side of the story, the chaotic nature of events within the UDC had already unfolded the very same weekend when UDC released a press statement declaring Sekete as the real UDC candidate. The BCP is aware that its fate is sealed and for now it might just be buying time. “We are a fully-fledged member of the UDC. We are not there yet. We still have hope that the UDC can work,” Kekgonegile indicated when asked about the BCP’s status in the UDC. But those words came out of a man who seemed gripped by hopelessness and the fact that he labelled the UDC as undemocratic said it all. Word around the opposition bloc is that the BCP does not want to withdraw from the coalition the same way it did in 2014. It is said that the BCP does not want to shoulder the blame this time around therefore, it would rather opt for expulsion as it was the case with the Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD).
Kekgonegile, however, refuted the assertions during the media briefing on Monday saying they have no intentions of being pushed out. Meanwhile, BCP treasurer, Oral Mosedame was confident that no one could discipline them because they have done nothing wrong by fielding their own candidate. “It is not wrong to contest against a BNF candidate because that is what Sekete is, a BNF candidate,” he said.
There is a Setswana saying that, “Naga e e se nang khudutlou, bolobete ba ipha naga,” which largely translates to scenario where followers do as they please because there is no leader. But ironically, with the UDC, there are leaders and as the BCP claims there are no consultations and communication.
“We have also exercised utmost restraint and patience in the face of serious dereliction of duty, unilateralism and indiscipline by no less an authority than the UDC president Duma Boko. All of these practices continue to hurt the UDC and by extension the BCP,” BCP spokesperson, Dr Mpho Pheko said in a statement.
As fed up as they are with some of the treatment by Boko, the BCP CC said they couldn’t move out of the house just because the roof is shaking. One would go on to ask what they are waiting for but sources also say initially the BCP had thought that things would become easier when the BNF vice president Prince Dibeela revealed that he would challenge Boko for the party’s presidency.
But Dibeela’s recent announcement that he had withdrawn from challenging Boko at the upcoming BNF elective congress was seen as a huge setback for some who want to see Boko unseated. But all their hopes were renewed when Baatlhodi ‘Bucs’ Molatlhegi announced himself as Boko’s challenger and asserted that currently BNF is in an ‘ICU state’.
Sources say the BCP leaders cannot stand Boko because the latter has ‘stood on the way of all efforts to convene the inaugural UDC congress’.
This is the congress the BCP is seeking in order to vote in their leader Saleshando as the UDC president going into the 2024 general election.
Now, the BCP leaders are said to be waiting for the outcome of Boko’s BNF presidential duel with Molatlhegi. It is said if Boko wins in July the BCP will withdraw from the UDC and if he loses the BCP leadership will hold fresh coalition leadership talks with the new BNF leadership.
This ongoing brawl within the UDC is testing both the BCP and the BNF coalition commitment, but what will happen after the by-election might change the outcome heading into the 2024 general election. The split of the UDC is the worst thing that could happen to the opposition political scene right now, so it remains to be seen whether the BCP with one foot out of the UDC will hold on to the coalition operations.
From the recent by-election victories to this Bophirima ward brouhaha, the UDC has suddenly turned from the winning coalition to the losing one. It shows that inter-party competition for power can be as disruptive as factionalism within the same party. So the UDC as a coalition is guilty of greater levels of indiscipline.