UDC Chairperson saddened by Boko, Saleshando feud
The chairman of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), Motlatsi Molapise has come out with guns blazing against the leadership of the Botswana Congress Party (BCP) and Botswana National Front (BNF) for being complicit in the recent war of words between the members of the two most influential affiliates of the UDC.
Molapise doubles as president of the Botswana People’s Party (BPP) while the BNF and BCP are led by Duma Boko and Dumelang Saleshando, who also double as UDC President and Vice President respectively. In what the public considers a turf war, members of the two parties have expended more time and energy denigrating each other than holding the ruling party to account. Matters were not helped by the fact that some in the leadership helped further kindle the raging inferno of words, causing panic among both the rank and file members and sympathisers of the two parties. The bone of contention has been, in the main, the convening of an elective congress.
While the BCP is insistent on the democratisation of the UDC by way of an elective congress, the BNF and BPP members have been reluctant to embrace the idea of an elective congress. “It is disappointing to note that some of our leaders at different levels have been fanning discord instead of calling for unity. As leaders, the buck stops with us. We need to talk to our people and guide them in the right direction instead of allowing our partisan interests to cloud our thinking,” said Molapise, who revealed that at its National Executive Committee (NEC) in Palapye on December 5th, it was resolved that, the parties should take action against errant members. It was also resolved that there would be no congress until the UDC has merged into one party.
“Sadly, we have not witnessed any disciplinary action against ill-disciplined members of our parties yet there is rampant misbehaviour on social media as they hurl hate speech against each other,” explained Molapise.
According to him, the parties are expected to close the platforms with immediate effect. “What the UDC needs now is peace and stability and not misguided internal fights over dominance of the UDC. The unacceptable conduct by our people, if not checked, will cost us greatly. It could discourage parties such as the Alliance for Progressives (AP) and the Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) as well as individual members of the public from joining the collective,” advised Molapise.
“Regarding the envisaged elective congress, the risk is that, if you go to an elective congress and a particular affiliate sweeps the stakes by winning all the positions, there will be no point in others sticking around. They will pull out from the project and possibly even undermine it to the benefit of noone except the BDP. Instead of inciting the people with misinformation and then sit back, we need to tell them what the leadership has resolved in the best interest of the people,” said the outgoing BPP leader who emphasised the fact that for now, it is up to the contracting parties to hold their respective congresses.