THE LIME TURNCOAT
UDC leaders berate Saleshando, say he is purchasable
If anybody harboured any thoughts that the fractious three-member opposition coalition, the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), has any genuine plans to see their leaders bury the hatchet, kiss and make-up anytime soon, they may be up for disappointment.
This is if the sarcasm, innuendo and insinuations traded at the UDC rally in Tutume over the weekend are anything to go by.
The fallout in the UDC took a new twist during campaigns for the Bophirima by-election when five BCP MPs were expelled from the party for attending activities of the UDC against the advice of their party. The MP for Nkange constituency, Dr Never Tshabang, was one of the expelled MPs. Speaker after speaker at the weekend rally in Tutume in the Nkange constituency, including the UDC president, Duma Boko, who was the guest speaker, took turns at casting aspersions on the credibility of the BCP as a coalition partner. Without exception, the speakers insinuated that the BCP and its leadership were venerable sell-outs.
When he took to the podium, Boko said, “Tshabang is the UDC MP for the Nkange constituency. He is winning again in 2024. The constituency belongs to the people and it is the people themselves who say so,“Boko declared to a thunderous applause.
“Please bear in mind that when you vote him in 2024, you might actually be voting a Minister,” he added. Dr Tshabang is a University of Botswana (UB) lecturer. The endorsement of Tshabang as the 2024 candidate precludes the possibility of working with the BCP in the next elections. Boko, who ironically, does not take kindly to those who discuss controversial party issues publicly, told the rally that he is disappointed with the BCP secretary general, Goretetse Kekgonegile and BCP president, Dumelang Saleshando publicly disagreeing with the UDC. Further, he insinuated that the BCP leaders were dishonest. “Accusations that suggest I expelled them as an individual are false. The decision to suspend them was made at a NEC meeting which structure consists of 12 members. The majority made the decision,” Boko said. He also castigated the BCP for expelling the five MPs without the benefit of a hearing. The UDC leader accused the BCP of a tendency to attack the UDC in public. Boko continued, “The BCP attacked us viciously when we had disagreements with them over who between UDC and them, should field the Bophirima war by-election. They attacked us again at Moselewapula by-election. As you are aware, the UDC won the two byelections.” He said in 2024, his job will not be to campaign for himself but campaign for UDC candidates and help them win. According to the UDC leader, the ruling government party has infiltrated the UDC by recruiting some in the BCP to malign him. “I do not know what they have been offered to turn against me,” announced Boko, who told the rally that he loves both Saleshando and Kekgonegile.
“He and I met before the BCP congress and we agreed on a number of proposals I made but apparently he got threatened and changed his mind,” Boko regretted. For his part, Tshabang accused the BCP of having no regard for justice as he and his colleagues were expelled without any hearing.
According to Tshabang, Saleshando should not have desired to remain Leader of the Opposition (LOO) when he had no regard for the party that put him in the position. “He had no right to enjoy UDC positions while he does not want to serve it,” Tshabang said, noting that he has no interest of ever returning to the BCP. Further taking a swipe at the BCP leader, Tshabang claimed that, “Saleshando should be grateful to the UDC for giving him a constituency and even campaigning for him.” He told the rally that his team nearly failed to secure a venue for the Tutume weekend rally because the BCP sought to use the Police to block the application but failed.
“The problem we have at the moment is that we have people who masquerade as opposition activists while they serve the ruling party,” said the chairman of the UDC, Motlatsi Molapisi who is also the president of the Botswana Peoples’ Party (BPP). He also accused the BCP of pettiness. “There are no problems at the UDC. What issues we are experiencing here are caused by endless excuses from the BCP. Like all of us, Boko has got both strengths and weaknesses. “The way I understand him is that his strengths outweigh his weaknesses. One thing for sure is that he is not purchasable like some of our politicians,” Molapisi said.