Ke Nako Mang? BPF and delusion of time
Permit me to start with the conclusion. That is, even in the most extreme of imagination, micrometres away from hallucination, it is still extremely hard to imagine Botswana Patriotic Front ( BPF) as anything other than a cultic hate club.
Their promise of a ‘ better future’ premised on ‘ good- old days’ when Ian Khama ‘ used to rule the world,’ is a selfdefeating contradiction of repute. How can the future be contained in the past?
It is somehow, an illogical summation of ‘ progressiveness’ packaged in revisionism - perhaps, very befitting of cultic group in their delusion quest, for political quench.
No wonder, in their wandering, time is an undefined variable, hence the slogan, “Ke nako.” And one curious mind may wonder, Ke nako mang?
Time is defined. Time is progressive. However, for BPF, ‘ time’ just like their purpose is very much undefined. It is just time, ‘ Ke nako!’ And it is increasingly proving that, it is this very undefined time, that carries the seeds of its demise.
And who knows, maybe ‘ Ke nako,’ to remove their ‘ dummy’ president, Biggie Butale. Maybe, ‘ Ke nako,’ for Tshekedi Khama to claim his ‘ rightful’ space; Maybe ‘ Ke nako’ to assert ethnic hegemony in the party; Maybe ‘ Ke nako,’
for BPF members to pause and ask, ‘ Ke nako mang?’
As we weep and pray to God to show mercy upon Pastor Batule, let us at least agree that, the latter’s fate was long sealed the very day he was ‘ lured’ to play BPF ‘ president.’ We however, may disagree with the political brutality currently being unleashed on him, but that the writing was always on the wall, remains uncontested.
There was never a point where anybody in their right mind, was to think that the political logic behind BPF, would accommodate a ‘ commoner’ like Butale to be on the throne. That would have prompted Tshekedi to wake up from the dead. Tshekedi unga muka.
With neither ideological nor doctrinal premise, the BPF seems to be a function of the most extreme manifestations of human zealotry. Besides their ever- concerted efforts to render destructive falsehoods and absolute ownership of twisted reality, two things stand out about BPF. Firstly, is it their cultic veneration of ‘ Kgosikgolo’ Ian Khama and secondly, their pathological admonishing of President Mokgweetsi Masisi. As far as I am concerned, they have never endeavoured to define their existence beyond this ‘ sacred’ duty to love Khama and hate Masisi. This seems to be the premise on which intellectual curiosity of its members is premised. It is a set of unchallengeable dogma, of which absolute adherence is unconditional. Besides, clear ethnic connotations, perhaps Butale did not hate Masisi enough to deserve leadership of the BPF. The point is, if BPF needs to be taken seriously as a political association, they need to define themselves beyond parameters of Bangwato royalty. What is currently happening to Butale is a living testimony that the group seeks to keep and maintain its ethnic ‘ look and feel.’
We should not be surprised at the drama unfolding at the BPF. It was a matter of time. The Igbo have long warned; when a man is not wanted in a village, he will be accused of causing dust even if he jumps into a pool of water.
We would definitely be economic with the truth if we are to say Butale has at any point been president of the BPF. He too has never fallen into that illusion. He has been very peripheral in deeds and needs. There has never been an attempt by his ‘ handlers’ to make him feel special or anyhow important. They have clearly made it a point that he knows his true position in the scheme of things; that, he is a pawn.
And as it is the nature of the beast, it has swallowed its own. But as they say, life goes on, time and tide wait for no man.