UDC petitions Masisi on national issues

The Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) painted Tutume blue over the weekend as the coalition met with its members in the constituency. Further to that, a petition to the country’s First Citizen, Mokgweetsi Masisi, was read out slamming his administration for posing serious threats to the country’s democracy.

The UDC through the petition signed by its president Duma Boko presented some demands on behalf of Batswana for immediate action by President Masisi and his government. They want the President, his ministers, and other State apparatus currently tampering with judicial independence to stop forthwith. They state that the accusations made by such responsible citizens and organisations are very serious.

“That the government must immediately adopt all democratic processes of appointment of judges which involves extensive consultations, transparency and use of merit followed by in-built parliamentary oversight in order to stop the appointment of judges on the basis of other considerations rather than merit,” Boko wrote.

Given the deepening poverty, spreading poverty in the context of the high cost of living, and government’s weak capability to relieve especially the most vulnerable youth and poverty-stricken people, the UDC wants the government to introduce unemployment allowance on a trial basis for the next 12 months.

With growing levels of corruption, the UDC called on the government to set up a commission of inquiry into the causes of corruption and how to address it through strong oversight institutions that report directly to Parliament.

“UDC calls on government to set up a research-based temporary vehicle to thoroughly investigate the cause of gender-based violence which will recommend institutionalised longterm solutions to this problem beyond talking and blaming victor and victims using superficial solutions. UDC also calls upon President Masisi and his government to stop using state media to push the BDP agenda,” Boko wrote.

In light of the looming rationalisation of state-owned enterprises, UDC states that there should be no retrenchments. They state that this is because already a lot of people are struggling to find employment and the state-led retrenchments will not assist the situation.

“Finally, we call on President Masisi to resuscitate the All-Party Conference as a forum of consultation on national issues of concern such as the review of the Constitution, unemployment, gender-based violence, and electoral reforms,” Boko said.

He stated that the petition was crafted noting that democracy does not exist because of any ruling party, but as a result of the whole nation’s efforts and years of commitment; further that Botswana’s democracy and peace are the results of the collective efforts of over five decades, and further noting that it was the people’s strong beliefs through their political, social, and religious organisations that the country is where it is today; further noting that it has been government’s separation of powers into the Executive, Legislature, and Judiciary, as well as the commitment of all political parties to the rule of law and electoral democracy that has nurtured and promoted Botswana’s democracy.

Boko said they were concerned, however, that developments in Botswana since Masisi came to power on April 1, 2018, are posing a serious threat to democracy, peace, and stability.

“Amongst these threats are: the failed power transition from the lan Khama presidency to Masisi’s presidency, the deepening and widespread poverty and inequalities in our society with associated high levels of unemployment, especially amongst the youth, low wages, growing retrenchments of workers, high cost of living, intolerable levels of gender-based violence, corruption, lack of free and objective state media which have been turned into BDP’s propaganda tools, state-managed harassment of citizens through a pseudo called Museveni, infighting in the different branches of the security services; growing intolerance to opposition by the current government, and above all, President’s recent alleged interference with the Judiciary, as reported by amongst others Justice Ketlogetswe and Kgosi Mosadi Seboko, noting further that these allegations, in fact, corroborate what the UDC raised post-2019 elections and the Law Society of Botswana in the past few years,” he stated.

Boko stated that as one of the custodians and architects of Botswana’s hard-earned democracy and peace, the UDC came up with the demands.