Pilane: UDC will never win state power
Pilane: UDC will never win state power
Power struggles within the party their downfall Khama ruined the country during his tenure
President of the Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD), Sidney Pilane is certain that the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) will never attain state power.
The UDC is an opposition coalition consisting of the Botswana Peoples’ Party (BPP), Botswana National Front (BNF) and Botswana Congress Party (BPP). It was formed just before the 2014 general elections.
“UDC will never win. The UDC is BCP, BNF and BPP. Batswana have never, do not and will never trust them. So, there is no question of attaining state power. UDC power struggle, and that will not change, is its downfall,” said Advocate Pilane who believes the BMD is on the right track.
Pilane went on to say that the UDC constituent parties started fighting the BMD after the BCP came along in order to get the BMD out of the way “so that the BCP next goes after the BNF with the view to taking over the leadership and control of the UDC, as they are doing now. They could not do that with the BMD in the UDC because we could not allow it,” stated Pilane.
He added that he warned the UDC after the expulsion of the BMD that there could be no UDC without BMD. “The UDC enjoyed stability for as long as it did because of the presence in it of the BMD which is why we had to be the first target of the BCP.
“Even if the UDC miraculously manages to pretend a sort of harmony and a coherent relationship so they deceive Batswana into electing them, they will fight over positions in government and collapse and this is a very dangerous thing for the country,” he warned.
Advocate Pilane’s belief though is that, as far as Botswana is concerned, the possibility of a coalition government is academic, “…since the UDC will never get anywhere near government.”
He noted that coalition governments do exist in developed countries such as Israel and several in the European Union and other western democracies, but explained that, those coalitions exist by negotiation and compromise.
“I do not know of any coalition government that any African country has ever had. Coalitions would not work in Africa because we want total power and control and are unprepared to negotiate and compromise honestly.
“For us, it is all or nothing which is very sad because true democracy requires negotiation and the sharing of power; both of them honestly and with sincerity and not with deceit for then, it will not survive,” stated the BMD outgoing president.
Pilane does not agree with insinuations made by the Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) and its patron, former President, Dr Ian Khama that President Dr Masisi and his party, the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) are fanning the embers of tribalism in the country.
“Those who live in glass houses must not throw stones. Everybody knows that, Khama has zero tolerance for interest in the Bangwato tribal territory other than for reasons purely political.
“He uses bogosi ba Gammangwato to campaign and dominate in the Central District which is the only reason the BPF won the three constituencies.
“He also helped the BCP win in the Central and North West Districts because the people of those districts allow themselves to be swayed by his claims to royalty”, said Pilane who feels that, Khama should be the last person to accuse anybody of tribalism or regionalism.
According to Pilane, himself a Southerner, Khama has got no influence in the South not on account of tribal or regional considerations but purely because his claim to royalty means nothing to the Southerners.
He noted that, the Southerners never complained since 1965, when, as he said, the BDP government overwhelmingly appointed northerners to government positions at the expense of the Southerners.
His view is that, the landslide win by the BDP in the 2019 general election in the South was a determination by the Southerners to send a clear message to Khama that he had had his time and must give way in the way that former President Mogae did.
“Mogae has let Khama govern without him interfering or seeking to remove him,” noted Advocate Pilane adding that, the people in the South, probably also those in the North although they will not admit it publicly as he is of Ngwato royalty, know that, Khama’s problem is that Masisi would not allow him to rule from the grave.
“He wants to remove Masisi so he either goes back or install a vassal who will let him rule from the grave. The people from the South know that Khama ruined our country during his tenure and they want no more of him,” he noted.