DINGAKE CALLS FOR TOTAL UDC MERGER
But warns against fights over ‘small things’
Founding Botswana Congress Party ( BCP) president Kitso Michael Dingake is disappointed that Umbrella for Democratic Change ( UDC) has not held an elective congress.
“For how long are they going to avoid it? You cannot escape it. Elections are a part of democracy”, warned the 92 year old political veteran and former Robben Islander in an interview at his home in Mogoditshane.
Dingake agrees with UDC that there was likely massive election fraud in the 2019 general elections.
“Remember the Tshiamo ballot box which was hidden during the ballot counting in the 1984 general election. To me, this is proof that the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) cheats at the elections.
“Unfortunately our calls as opposition even way back to have the counting of ballots at polling stations have fallen on deaf ears,” lamented Dingake.
He believes that the only reason why BDP refuses some of the electoral reforms is that the loopholes give them an opportunity to steal the elections.
The Bobonong native is a veteran of Botswana politics.
He became a member of Botswana Peoples’ Party (BPP) when it was formed in 1960.
“When BPP regrettably split in 1962, I joined its splinter, the Botswana Independence Party (BIP)”.
When Dr Kenneth Koma returned from his studies overseas he reasoned that the BPP had lost the elections because of the split. He then came up with the idea of a Front as a platform for uniting the opposition parties.
A couple of meetings were held in Mochudi culminating in the formation of a committee led by Daniel Kwele to actualise the idea.
Not everybody supported the idea of a Front. Some spread the conspiracy that Koma’s efforts were the outcome of personal interests.
“Koma was accused of being a power monger who wanted to lead the Front,” said Dingake, who remains hopeful that despite the challenges that have thus far denied Botswana opposition electoral victory, change will inevitably come.
“By their nature, coalitions are a problem. In the first place, the contracting parties always fight over ‘small things’ such as the allocation of wards and constituencies”, he said of the UDC.
“It is these things that end up becoming the deal-breakers. Meanwhile, partisan interests seem to take centre stage in the UDC as members cling to their parties and, perhaps inadvertently, hurt the collective.
“In the event, those not happy with the allocation of a particular ward or constituency, go all out to sabotage the party allocated the ward or constituency.
“The opposition parties should try a merger,” he rendered his free advice.
When the soft-spoken Dingake left Botswana National Front (BNF) in 1998 and became the founding president of BCP, his detractors subjected him to stinging denigration.
For example, casting aspersions on his substance, Koma famously called his former vice president a fake diamond.
“Re ne re ithaya rere re bone teemane kante ke marago a lebotlele (We thought we had acquired a diamond but it turns out we had found the base of a bottle)”.
BNF activists also claimed that while in South Africa, Dingake was never an activist of the ANC but a courier of the party. Dingake was not offended.
“I remember all that but as a politician, you should expect that and worse. You should expect all sorts of rubbish but some of it is the result of ignorance on their part while in the majority of cases, it is mischievous political propaganda,” said Dingake.
He and the other 10 defectors, who left with him, were described by their nemesis in the BNF as Eleven Men in Flight.
Dingake retired from active politics in 2001 but still interacts with politicians especially BCP members to occasionally exchange political views.
“I do communicate with individual members and critique them whenever the need to do so arises”, he said.
He now enjoys his retirement by doing light exercises every morning, reading newspapers and books before taking his shower at around 9am.
“I get up early but not too early,” he said as he chuckled as if being apologetic for not getting up “too early.”
The former activist of the revolutionary African National Congress (ANC) in South Africa was quick to provide the context within which the light exercises are taken.
“I fractured my hip last year and my leg was amputated and then put back by surgery,” said the former University of Botswana Purchasing Manager (1982 -1990) and Public Relations Officer (1990 - 1993).
“Before I retired, I had a very tight schedule because I interacted with a lot of people. That, I miss a lot. What I like about retirement is that, I now almost have complete control of my time.
“I read a lot of literature including political philosophy and politics in general,” said the former MP for Gaborone Central.
Dingake is disappointed that the youth do not read books. “Instead, they depend solely on social media outlets for information. Reading is important”, he said.
Reading helps him keep his ‘political mind’. Dingake, who already has three books; the Politics Of Confusion, Better To Die On One’s Feet Than Live On One’s Knees and My Fight Against Apartheid, will publish his fourth book next year.
“The title of this book is: My Mother Was A Woman. The book discusses issues of gender equality in this country. I feel women are being disempowered through systemic discrimination against them,” he revealed.