Why some AP members will not follow ‘turncoat’ Ndaba - Kgoroba
A political pressure group from within the Alliance for Progressives (AP) has rejected the idea of ever working with the Umbrella for Democratic Party (UDC), and remain resolute in their decision never to work with “an undemocratic Boko.” And this is why:
Leader of the group going by the name ‘Botswana O Mosha,’ Sedirwa Kgoroba, expressed disappointment that while the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) has failed Botswana beyond any reasonable doubt, the nation’s hope for the UDC to take over and improve things was diminishing as the UDC itself has transformed into a dictatorship.
“We have seen the lack of democracy within the BDP. We have seen how those who exercised their democratic right to contest for positions were ruthlessly and undemocratically dealt with by the BDP system,” said Kgoroba who suggested that similar dictatorial tendencies were rampant within the UDC. He blamed UDC leader Duma Boko for the failure of the opposition struggle in recent years, adding that actually, Boko is the reason opposition lost the elections in 2019. “The UDC is undemocratic, authoritarian and corrupt, and does not show any signs of reform,”
Kgoroba said, adding that the topical revelations of his deals with South African controversial businessman Zunaid Moti are evidence of the rot at the centre of the UDC.
Kgoroba stated that the decision by the AP leadership to join the UDC is in total violation of their congress resolution.He said that the AP congress stated clearly that the AP will go into a coalition only with like-minded parties and made it clear that the UDC is out of question because it is not like-minded. Kgoroba revealed that only a congress resolution can change that directive and no other structure of the party. Suggesting self-serving reasons for the AP leadership’s decision to suddenly find the UDC a fitting ally, Kgoroba said they have no problem with Ndaba joining the UDC ‘thieves’ if it now suits him as he may all along have been a turncoat disloyal to the AP ideals of good governance and democracy.
“If it suits Ndaba, a a tsamae le magodu a gagwe. Kana gongwe ntse re bapile le batho re sa ba tlhaloganye”, Kgoroba said,
Speaking to The Midweek Sun,
Kgoroba reiterated the fact that theirs is not a political party but rather a pressure group. He revealed that they have been close to the Botswana Congress Party (BCP) and in alignment on the principles of democracy and good governance, saying therefore that they will not be forming a new party but will seek like-minded political parties to work with to bring about regime change. Kgoroba says selfish tendencies are the reason opposition parties cannot work together smoothly as each group makes decisions based on what bene- fits will be going towards them as individuals. He highlighted as undemocratic the fact that AP leadership has been negotiating with Boko alone without talking to the executive leadership of the UDC, adding that even the conveners of the talks between the BCP, AP and Botswana Labour Party (BLP) can attest to the fact that the leadership of AP is not being dishonest with their reasons for dumping talks with BCP and joining UDC.
One of the conveners, Lebang Mpotokwane, would later be quoted by weekend weekly publication, WeekendPost, as saying he was left surprised with the way talks between the parties suddenly collapsed. Mpotokwane says the two parties, BCP and AP, had been given time to resolve the matter of allocating among themselves the constituencies they each wanted, and bring back the matter for a final decision. “But when we all met to receive an update on the constituency deadlock, AP told us that its Central Committee had decided that the party should leave the negotiations. We were shocked and disappointed... but the AP team stood the ground,” Mpotokwane told WeekendPost.
AP had earlier told a media briefing that they chose to quit their coalition talks as the BCP was infiltrating their party, something Kgoroba dismissed as lies, stating that instead, the leaders of AP were eyeing a quicker route to Parliament through the UDC.