Pre-election intimidation accusations hits BDP

Mmegi TSAONE BASIMANEBOTLHE

Earlier this year, Dow, a former minister and Specially Elected Member of Parliament, told the media that she is under the general impression that Museveni is not just a random political agitator on Facebook, but rather a syndicate of protected individuals tasked with tarnishing her name.

“No one with the power and authority to protect me can claim not to be aware of the bullying, harassment and defamation directed at me,” she said at the time.

This was before Dow decided to run for the deputy secretary-general post against Dr Lemogang Kwape who is the preferred candidate of the BDP leadership. In the latest development, Dow was heard in a leaked WhatsApp voice note (VN) telling BDP legislators that she is facing death threats and intimidation ahead of the Tsabong congress.

In a brief conversation with Mmegi, Dow confirmed the authenticity of the audio and further indicated that the harassment is escalated by the Museveni account. In the voice note, Dow says the only sin she has committed was to stand for elections.

“This is harassment during elections. It happened in other countries and I never thought it will happen in my country and at this level,” she indicated. Dow further accused BDP legislators of looking the other way as she continues to be subjected to harassment and cyber bullying.

“Don’t pretend that you are not seeing it, don’t pretend that you are not hearing it, this is a new culture in BDP. If you allow this level of harassment to happen, to continue I don’t know where your children will find this country because it won’t be there,” she expressed.

In the leaked VN, Dow pointed out that new people in the BDP administration are the ones who brought about the pre-election intimidation and harassment culture to the ruling party. She said the new people brought ‘mischievous, devious, devilish’ behaviour. Dow blatantly told BDP MPs that they are cowards who will choose to look away. “You are going to whisper in corners, I am going to Tsabong to stand for elections unless somebody kills me between now and then or unless somebody arrests me between now and then, or unless somebody plants money or motokwane in my car between now and then,” she said.

Dow also said she believes she

Ahead of the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) congress this weekend in Tsabong, chairperson and deputy secretary general aspirants, Nonofho Molefhi and Unity Dow respectively have singled out Facebook pseudo account, France Museveni as the main architect of pre-election intimidation tactics, staffers

MOMPATI TLHANKANE & report

has a right to stand for elections whether she loses or not. “I must lose fairly so what is happening is humiliating. The Minister of Defence and Security should not pretend he doesn’t know,” Dow said. Earlier Dow indicated that the ambivalence of the government and BDP towards her cyberbullying is disconcerting, to say the least.

Dow disclosed at the time that allegations made by Museveni against her have been reported to the Vice President, the Minister of Defence and Security, the Commissioner of Police, the Chief of Staff and the Permanent Secretary to the President but to no avail.

“There was even a declaration on Facebook by one individual close enough to the BDP leadership to know the truth that Museveni is protected,” stated Dow in a press conference this past February. Since falling out of favour and eventually losing her ministerial post, Dow has consistently spoken out against various issues, and according to her making her a target of political attacks. For the longest time, the Museveni account, which hides behind whistle-blowing antics has been accusing Dow of corruption, alleged to have been committed during Dow’s time as the Education minister. Museveni who mockingly calls Dow “Mmaonyana” has labelled her as a ‘thief’. Museveni alleges that team Molefhi, which Dow is part of, has

been given money to buy delegates at the BDP congress. For his part, Molefhi confirmed that indeed pre-election intimidation exists and Museveni is consistently out to tarnish their name. The former Cabinet minister, who is in the race for the BDP chairmanship against Vice President Slumber Tsogwane, said this harassment by Museveni started when they showed their interest in contesting for positions at the congress.

Most of the candidates who are complaining about harassment are the ones who are not wanted by the BDP leadership. Speaking of unwanted, BDP candidate for the secretary-general position Kgathi, who is the incumbent deputy secretary-general, has lost favour with Tsogwane and he was recently kicked out of a meeting organised by the chairperson of the Francistown Region Baemedi Medupi in Francistown.

Kgathi revealed at the time that he has noted indiscipline by some party cadres, which he decided to let go of.

He said there was a crusade to tarnish him. Kgathi indicated that he is a BDP member with full rights like any other and will contest. Meanwhile, former finance minister and MP for Lobatse, Dr Thapelo Matsheka has also decried that he was a victim of a political witch-hunt and some people within the BDP are out to destroy and tarnish his name.

Matsheka was recently arrested and later released by the Directorate of Intelligence and Security (DIS) for the alleged murder of Tlotso Karema. Matsheka was at the helm of the finance ministry and it is said that some of the events, which occurred during his short stint at the senior ministry, eventually led to his fallout with Masisi.

Matsheka had not been in the good books of the BDP leadership and his place in the backbench became an eventuality. Being dropped from Cabinet and finally being pushed out has always been the plan of the BDP. Matsheka’s trouble in the BDP even forced him to drop from the party position race and he confirmed that to Mmegi.

He was initially supposed to challenge Vice President Slumber Tsogwane for BDP chairmanship. The alleged pre-election harassment is a terrible reminder of what happens sometimes during elections. While Botswana has not witnessed this grim pattern repeatedly, in other countries political leaders are harassed and even killed for running for election.

This kind of intimidation is often done using anonymous messages and the intention is usually to discourage candidates from standing for elections. The continued impunity for intimidation and harassment has in many instances created an environment of public fear and insecurity in which political opponents are dissuaded from participating in politics.

In the case of BDP, the ruling party is expected to guarantee the rights to freedom of association and expression ahead of any election, and participation in the elections should not expose candidates to the risk of death.

Commenting on the intimidation and cyberbullying of some candidates, the BDP spokesperson Kagelelo Kentse said, as the BDP, they are not aware of any pre-election intimidation within the party. Kentse added that until the issue is formally raised with the party it only remains rumours.

On the issue of the BDP using Museveni to intimidate and de-campaign other members, Kentse said they have on many occasions pronounced that the party does not know and is not associated with France Museveni.

“Therefore, it’s very unfortunate to draw the party into that. If MP Dow feels that Museveni is used by the party then she must raise a formal complaint to the party. If issues raised by that FB account are damming for Dow, the advice would be that she must approach the police. It’s not a BDP matter altogether,” he said.